Darren Shanks (Part 7)

"Haircut for Darren"

Darren is back at Rady Children’s Hospital Cancer Treatment Center for more chemotherapy. I spoke to our players about supporting Darren, bring awareness to children suffering from cancer and the support of the Cancer Treatment Center at Rady Children’s Hospital.

One of the side effects of the chemotherapy is the loss of the patient’s hair. Suffice it to say, Darren lost all his hair due to the chemotherapy. So to support Darren, some of the coaches, the players and I are looking to cut our hair off with electric sheers so Darren doesn’t have to be bald by himself. Furthermore, the Creative Services staff of Rady Children’s Hospital has taken an interest in Darren and the PHHS football program that they wish to do a story on Darren and the Freshman Football team. They are also trying to get the media to come to PHHS to cover the story.

If your son wishes to participate in the “Haircut for Darren”, we need to have your permission to cut your son’s hair. We will be sending a form home with your son on Wednesday 2/24/10. It is our hope that we get a large group players to participate and we take a photo to send to him to show our support. We already have Media Waiver forms for your son that was filled out earlier in the football season.
Participation in the ‘Haircut for Darren’ is not a requirement and is strictly optional. But if your son wishes to participate, please fill out the form and have your son return it to Coach Martinez before Tuesday March 2nd.

We will be cutting our hair in front of the press box in the football stadium on Wednesday March the 3rd during 6th Period PE.

Darren Shanks (Part 6)

The Freshman coaching staff along with Varsity Coach Mike Martinez paid a visit to the Shanks residence. We met with Darren, his mom Vivian, father Tom (who now is without a mustache and looks 20 years younger) and brother Bryan.

It was a rare window of opportunity for Darren to take on visitors and we as a coaching staff were happy to see Darren and his family.

Darren was in good spirits and he was able to share some hair-raising (no pun intended) stories describing his stay at Children's Hospital. He also had some pretty funny stories too.

Darren is the oldest patient at Children's' Hospital. Most of the patients are under the age of ten and it is rare for a patient to engage in deep conversation in regards to treatment. One Doctor came into Darren's room and began to talk about the next treatment he was going to receive. Darren asked a lot of really good questions and apparently, the doctor was not completely prepared to answer all his question. She excused herself and said she would come back when she had all the answers. Good job Darren!

I have an all new respect for Darren and what he has to endure during his Chemotherapy. I am a police officer and there are people that wish to do me harm out there in the real world. But after hearing what Darren has to go through, (size of needles, where he is being shot with these needles, the side effects of the chemotherapy and the pain he has to endure) I told Darren, I would rather go down a dark alley at midnight with armed and dangerous persons in the alley than go through what he is going through. And all the while, Darren keeps a positive attitude and asks his Doctors questions on what is next, and what he will endure.

At the beginning of the year, I handed out Leadership Awards (PH Helmet Stickers) for the player that has shown leadership qualities. Yes, the season is over and yes, he doesn't wear a helmet right now, but Darren is a leader. Darren shows us all that we never quit, we keep on fighting and we will always make the best of every situation. So, on the suggestion of Coach Armenta, I presented Darren with his leadership award and gave him his two PH Helmet Stickers. Nothing is given. Everything is earned and Darren earned it!

Darren will be admitted back to the Hospital this Sunday night. The best way to contact Darren is via text or Skype (Internet video).

We said goodbye after an hour and a half visit. On the way out, his mother Vivian took the following photo.


From left to right: Coach Fred Bushardt, Varsity Head Coach Mike Martinez, Coach Dailey, Darren 'The Warrior' Shanks, Coach Rick Pankow and Coach Andy Armenta.

Darren Shanks (Part 5)

Good News! Darren is finally home from the Hospital. He has been getting tons of well wishes from his friends and neighbors via the CaringBridge website. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support.

Darren, unfortunately, was losing his hair in large clumps due to the chemotherapy. Darren finally ended up shearing his hair off. His father Tom shaved his mustache off in support of Darren.



Earlier in the year, one of the lessons we passed onto our players is to support a cause near and dear to our hearts. That is why we all wore pink at our final home game against Scripps Ranch, not because it was cool and NFL players were doing it. We had our players talk about the social ramifications of supporting a cause and how it affected us on a personal level. Several of our players, including myself, had family or freinds that were diagnosed with breast cancer. That is why we took on the cause to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Part of being a man for others are those lessons on how to serve others and how we can make a difference in the lives of others. Football is just a vehicle or a metaphor to take those lessons and turn them into reality. For that reason alone, I was truly blessed to have the young men I coached last year. They renewed my faith in the future and the future of our community as men.

Vivian, Darren's mom, called me one night a couple of week ago to thank me for helping raise her son into a man. We became very emotional over the phone as she explained the strength, will to fight and determination Darren had to battle this cancer. And all Darren could think about was getting better to get back onto the football field to be with his friends and team mates.

So this message goes out to the players and parents of the 2009 Freshman Football team: I will be shearing off all the hair on my head on Wednesday March 3rd. I welcome any and all players who wish to participate in shearing off my hair to participate in room 500 on March the 3rd. I will let the players cut my hair off, bit by bit under one condition: I get to cut their hair off also!

I will be handing permission slips out to the players on Wednesday 2/24/10 to the players to ask parents to allow us to cut the hair of the players. Heaven forbid I cut the hair off a player without a parent knowing. Only those with permission slips will be allowed to participate in the team function of "Haircut for Darren Day".

When we are done, we will take and team picture to send to Darren. If you have any questions, feel free to give a call at (619) 980-4159.

Darren Shanks (Part 4)

Darren's mom, Vivian, has set up a website on the CaringBridge webpage to communicate with Darren. It has a journal, guest page, photos and is updated by Vivian and read by Darren.

If you wish to log onto the CaringBridge site, shoot me an e-mail at 'ldailey@pd.sandiego.gov' or to Vivian Shanks at 'v.colmenero@cox.net' and we can send you the link to Darren's web page.

You will have to logon with your e-mail address and use a password to get in. But once you're in, you can see how Darren and his family are doing and get daily updates on his progress!

If you have any questions please call me at (619)980-4159. Good luck!!

Darren Shanks (Part 3)

I spoke to Coach Martinez on Wednesday and he heard Darren was back in the Hospital from complications due to the chemotherapy.

I called the Shanks home and spoke to his mother Vivian. Darren had a setback and was re-admitted back on Monday. Apparently, Darren has an infection in his throat and it is hard for Darren to swallow. He wasn't able to eat and he is in tremendous pain. He had to be medicated with pain killers and has to be monitored by the Hospital staff at Rady Childrens Hospital.

Basically, Darren hasn't eaten since the Super Bowl.

Wanting to pick Darren's spirits up, I had the players sign a poster I had made for Darren. (Thank you to our team photographer Nick LoCoco for the photo!) Once it was completed, I wanted the players to get together and make a presentation to Darren as a team.

Well, being that Darren was re-admitted to Rady Childrens Hospital, he is not able to take any visitors due to the possibility of outsiders bringing the flu virus into the Hospital.

I felt it necessary send the poster to Darren today in the hopes he would feel encouragement from all of us on the team. As I dropped the poster off with Darren's brother at his home, I was informed Darren's swelling in his throat was shrinking to the point he will be able to eat for the first time since the Super Bowl!

I will keep you all posted on any progress as I get it. Also, Darren's mother Vivian has set up a website for Darren. She will be passing me her e-mail address so you can click onto the link to Darren's website.

Keep sending prayers and stay tuned!!!

Darren Shanks (Part 2)

Following up on Darren, he has been undergoing extensive chemotherapy and will continue to undergo more therapy as the week goes on.

Coach Pankow was that latest to contact Darren's parents. Darren is having a hard time with the therapy and is solely thinking about getting back onto the football field!

Darren is unable to take visitors at this time. Get well cards are encouraged. I will be on campus again on Wednesday and if anybody wishes to send a get well card, turn them in to me before the start of 6th Period and I will see to it that they get to his parents and eventually to Darren.

I have already started on getting a poster of Darren and get that to the players to sign before I have it laminated. We will present that to him once he gets out of the Hospital and he can visitors.

On a final note. Coach Pankow relays to me that Darren had expressed some concern about losing his hair from the chemotherapy. My hair is getting a little on the long side and I need to get a haircut ro conform to Department Standards. So...

I plan on getting the electronic shears and cut all my hair off in support of Darren. That way, Darren is not alone. If any of our players talk to you parents about shearing all their hair off, you will know why.