'I was shaving one morning and noticed my neck looked oddly-shaped'
He is raising money for the Calvary Mater Newcastle oncology nurses, so they can do something nice for themselves.
"I will be attempting to run 200 kilometres - about six kilometres a day over the month of June," he said.
He felt for the nurses who see many "highs and lows every day".
"The nurses bring an uplifting experience to people stuck in a bed for eight to nine hours a day. It's amazing," he said.
"I wanted to do something to make their life a little bit brighter."
He started a GoFundMe for the "amazing nurses who looked after me".
Mr Whiteford, of Charlestown, was diagnosed in December 2023 with a Ewing sarcoma in his neck at age 35.
"I was shaving one morning and noticed my neck looked oddly shaped," the father of two young kids said.
"I monitored it for a few weeks, but didn't think much of it."
His wife Johanna urged him to see a doctor.
"A biopsy was inconclusive. I saw a surgeon, who said I had a very aggressive cancer in my neck. It was shocking."
He had major surgery while facing the risk of his face being disfigured due to the cancer being wrapped around major nerves.
"They removed as much of the cancer as they could without severing the nerve," he said.
"After the surgery I had a bit of facial droop, very dry eyes and loss of smell.
"My face came back, so I don't have a different physical appearance. And I can still wear contact lenses."
A group of oncologists, including some at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, worked on a treatment plan over several weeks.
He then had about nine months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation at the Calvary Mater.
He had a portacath inserted in his chest for the treatment, which finished at the end of October.
"It was very hard. I had about eight blood transfusions and countless ambulance calls," he said.
"I was admitted into hospital six times with high temperatures exceeding 38 degrees and infections.
"Having such a low immune system (due to the treatment) is very challenging.
"All up, it was about 100 days in hospital."
He said the Mater's nurses were "my rock and a shoulder to cry on".
"Everybody who goes through treatment has their own way of managing it. The nurses knew everyone on a first-name basis," he said.
"They have a knack of tailoring the way they talk about what people are going through."
The run will be part of his rehabilitation. He returned to the gym in February.
"It's not my thing to be a runner. I usually do weights, cycling, treadmill and cardio," said Mr Whiteford, now 37.
"My doctors say the run is beyond what my stress levels should be, but I've been through the worst of the worst. It's something I can achieve."
Since he finished treatment, he's had two three-monthly checks that were "all clear".
"Everything is stable, which is really positive to hear," he said.
"It was a big weight off our shoulders. Any time we get to appreciate life, we take it."
Shane Whiteford says the nurses who helped care for him during cancer treatment are "angels".
He is raising money for the Calvary Mater Newcastle oncology nurses, so they can do something nice for themselves.
"I will be attempting to run 200 kilometres - about six kilometres a day over the month of June," he said.
He felt for the nurses who see many "highs and lows every day".
"The nurses bring an uplifting experience to people stuck in a bed for eight to nine hours a day. It's amazing," he said.
"I wanted to do something to make their life a little bit brighter."
He started a GoFundMe for the "amazing nurses who looked after me".
Mr Whiteford, of Charlestown, was diagnosed in December 2023 with a Ewing sarcoma in his neck at age 35.
"I was shaving one morning and noticed my neck looked oddly shaped," the father of two young kids said.
"I monitored it for a few weeks, but didn't think much of it."
His wife Johanna urged him to see a doctor.
"A biopsy was inconclusive. I saw a surgeon, who said I had a very aggressive cancer in my neck. It was shocking."
He had major surgery while facing the risk of his face being disfigured due to the cancer being wrapped around major nerves.
"They removed as much of the cancer as they could without severing the nerve," he said.
"After the surgery I had a bit of facial droop, very dry eyes and loss of smell.
"My face came back, so I don't have a different physical appearance. And I can still wear contact lenses."
A group of oncologists, including some at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, worked on a treatment plan over several weeks.
He then had about nine months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation at the Calvary Mater.
He had a portacath inserted in his chest for the treatment, which finished at the end of October.
"It was very hard. I had about eight blood transfusions and countless ambulance calls," he said.
"I was admitted into hospital six times with high temperatures exceeding 38 degrees and infections.
"Having such a low immune system (due to the treatment) is very challenging.
"All up, it was about 100 days in hospital."
He said the Mater's nurses were "my rock and a shoulder to cry on".
"Everybody who goes through treatment has their own way of managing it. The nurses knew everyone on a first-name basis," he said.
"They have a knack of tailoring the way they talk about what people are going through."
The run will be part of his rehabilitation. He returned to the gym in February.
"It's not my thing to be a runner. I usually do weights, cycling, treadmill and cardio," said Mr Whiteford, now 37.
"My doctors say the run is beyond what my stress levels should be, but I've been through the worst of the worst. It's something I can achieve."
Since he finished treatment, he's had two three-monthly checks that were "all clear".
"Everything is stable, which is really positive to hear," he said.
"It was a big weight off our shoulders. Any time we get to appreciate life, we take it."
Shane Whiteford says the nurses who helped care for him during cancer treatment are "angels".
He is raising money for the Calvary Mater Newcastle oncology nurses, so they can do something nice for themselves.
"I will be attempting to run 200 kilometres - about six kilometres a day over the month of June," he said.
He felt for the nurses who see many "highs and lows every day".
"The nurses bring an uplifting experience to people stuck in a bed for eight to nine hours a day. It's amazing," he said.
"I wanted to do something to make their life a little bit brighter."
He started a GoFundMe for the "amazing nurses who looked after me".
Mr Whiteford, of Charlestown, was diagnosed in December 2023 with a Ewing sarcoma in his neck at age 35.
"I was shaving one morning and noticed my neck looked oddly shaped," the father of two young kids said.
"I monitored it for a few weeks, but didn't think much of it."
His wife Johanna urged him to see a doctor.
"A biopsy was inconclusive. I saw a surgeon, who said I had a very aggressive cancer in my neck. It was shocking."
He had major surgery while facing the risk of his face being disfigured due to the cancer being wrapped around major nerves.
"They removed as much of the cancer as they could without severing the nerve," he said.
"After the surgery I had a bit of facial droop, very dry eyes and loss of smell.
"My face came back, so I don't have a different physical appearance. And I can still wear contact lenses."
A group of oncologists, including some at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, worked on a treatment plan over several weeks.
He then had about nine months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation at the Calvary Mater.
He had a portacath inserted in his chest for the treatment, which finished at the end of October.
"It was very hard. I had about eight blood transfusions and countless ambulance calls," he said.
"I was admitted into hospital six times with high temperatures exceeding 38 degrees and infections.
"Having such a low immune system (due to the treatment) is very challenging.
"All up, it was about 100 days in hospital."
He said the Mater's nurses were "my rock and a shoulder to cry on".
"Everybody who goes through treatment has their own way of managing it. The nurses knew everyone on a first-name basis," he said.
"They have a knack of tailoring the way they talk about what people are going through."
The run will be part of his rehabilitation. He returned to the gym in February.
"It's not my thing to be a runner. I usually do weights, cycling, treadmill and cardio," said Mr Whiteford, now 37.
"My doctors say the run is beyond what my stress levels should be, but I've been through the worst of the worst. It's something I can achieve."
Since he finished treatment, he's had two three-monthly checks that were "all clear".
"Everything is stable, which is really positive to hear," he said.
"It was a big weight off our shoulders. Any time we get to appreciate life, we take it."
Shane Whiteford says the nurses who helped care for him during cancer treatment are "angels".
He is raising money for the Calvary Mater Newcastle oncology nurses, so they can do something nice for themselves.
"I will be attempting to run 200 kilometres - about six kilometres a day over the month of June," he said.
He felt for the nurses who see many "highs and lows every day".
"The nurses bring an uplifting experience to people stuck in a bed for eight to nine hours a day. It's amazing," he said.
"I wanted to do something to make their life a little bit brighter."
He started a GoFundMe for the "amazing nurses who looked after me".
Mr Whiteford, of Charlestown, was diagnosed in December 2023 with a Ewing sarcoma in his neck at age 35.
"I was shaving one morning and noticed my neck looked oddly shaped," the father of two young kids said.
"I monitored it for a few weeks, but didn't think much of it."
His wife Johanna urged him to see a doctor.
"A biopsy was inconclusive. I saw a surgeon, who said I had a very aggressive cancer in my neck. It was shocking."
He had major surgery while facing the risk of his face being disfigured due to the cancer being wrapped around major nerves.
"They removed as much of the cancer as they could without severing the nerve," he said.
"After the surgery I had a bit of facial droop, very dry eyes and loss of smell.
"My face came back, so I don't have a different physical appearance. And I can still wear contact lenses."
A group of oncologists, including some at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, worked on a treatment plan over several weeks.
He then had about nine months of chemotherapy and a month of radiation at the Calvary Mater.
He had a portacath inserted in his chest for the treatment, which finished at the end of October.
"It was very hard. I had about eight blood transfusions and countless ambulance calls," he said.
"I was admitted into hospital six times with high temperatures exceeding 38 degrees and infections.
"Having such a low immune system (due to the treatment) is very challenging.
"All up, it was about 100 days in hospital."
He said the Mater's nurses were "my rock and a shoulder to cry on".
"Everybody who goes through treatment has their own way of managing it. The nurses knew everyone on a first-name basis," he said.
"They have a knack of tailoring the way they talk about what people are going through."
The run will be part of his rehabilitation. He returned to the gym in February.
"It's not my thing to be a runner. I usually do weights, cycling, treadmill and cardio," said Mr Whiteford, now 37.
"My doctors say the run is beyond what my stress levels should be, but I've been through the worst of the worst. It's something I can achieve."
Since he finished treatment, he's had two three-monthly checks that were "all clear".
"Everything is stable, which is really positive to hear," he said.
"It was a big weight off our shoulders. Any time we get to appreciate life, we take it."
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