Bereaved husband gives back as act of gratitude for his wife’s ovarian cancer journey

Sixty-eight-year-old Shari Capron knew something was wrong.

“She started noticing she had problems, and we started going to her regular doctor,” Shari’s husband Ken remembers. “All the tests kept coming back good — her blood was good; everything was good. But she knew her body, and at one point she said, ‘Can you take me to the hospital?’”

Ken jumped into action and brought Shari to MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital’s emergency department. There, she got her first CT scan and an earth-shattering diagnosis — late-stage ovarian cancer.

Meet the care team

The next day, Shari and Ken met with gynecologic oncologist Christopher Breed, MD, FACOG, at the donor-powered Dr. Richard C. Ostenson Cancer Center. Immediately, the couple felt they were in good hands.

“I can’t say enough about Dr. Breed and Shari’s oncologist, Dr. Meghana Bansal,” Ken explains. “We never would’ve gotten through any of this journey without the Good Sam oncology department.

“When Shari was diagnosed, Dr. Breed said, ‘We can fight it, and we can buy you as much time as we can,’” Ken continues.

And fight it Shari and her care team did. Fiercely.

Shari had four major surgeries, with the first lasting more than 10 hours and resulting in follow-up wound care with another excellent team. She underwent chemotherapy and was prescribed a costly medication. That’s when Good Samaritan Foundation came onto the scene.

The Dr. Richard C. Ostenson Cancer Center is funded by community generosity through the Good Samaritan Foundation, helping Dr. Breed and his team remove barriers to care so patients like Shari can focus on treatment. The Foundation committed to covering a portion of the medicine’s costs each month, so the Caprons had one less thing to worry about.

Supported by the Foundation and compassionate oncologists, nurses and staff, Shari fought ovarian cancer with every fiber of her being, not complaining once.

“What stands out to me the most is how positive and realistic she stayed throughout all of it — even when things got really difficult and she was feeling miserable,” Dr. Breed says. “Ken was supportive and was by Shari’s side every step of the way. It was an honor and a pleasure to be a part of Shari’s care.”

The gifts of time and hospice

Thanks to the Dr. Richard C. Ostenson Cancer Center, Ken received 10 additional months post-diagnosis with his high school sweetheart and childhood best friend.

“That was incredible for us because, in a 50-year marriage, you have lots of ups and downs,” Ken says. “So, it gave us time to regrow our love, talk about things that meant a lot to us and just love each other.”

Shari and Ken sought to make the most of this gift, with Ken embracing the opportunity to care for her, Shari teaching Ken about what he’d be handling after she passed, and both managing to find humor and laughter amid grueling treatment.

Following Shari’s fourth surgery, she could no longer eat or drink. Shari soon realized she wanted to pass at home, and MultiCare Good Samaritan Home Health and Hospice made her last wish possible.

“Our hospice nurse, Brenda Pounds, was the most incredible nurse we could possibly ever ask for,” Ken shares. “She took care of my wife the last two days, and every time I called her, she was here, and she came probably 30 seconds after Shari took her last breath.”

As a result of donor dollars, these services are offered free of charge, meaning families like Ken’s can be fully present during their loved one’s final days and not have to think about additional expenses.

Moving forward with a grateful heart

In Shari’s goodbye letter to her husband, she encouraged Ken to keep doing what he loved, such as climbing and hiking. Today, he’s a volunteer ranger at Mount Rainier National Park, sharing his and Shari’s passion for the outdoors with visitors.

He’s also joined a support group through Home Health and Hospice.

“Ken’s devotion to his deceased wife Shari is inspirational, as is his attitude of gratitude,” says bereavement counselor Wayne Streutker. “He is a benevolent and cheerful giver of his time, treasures and talents. He finds his healing in helping. He puts the skills he spent a lifetime learning to great use serving others in need.”

Indeed, Ken has gifted every dollar received for Shari’s medication back to Good Samaritan Foundation, so other cancer patients and their families may be helped along their journeys.

“Being diagnosed with ovarian cancer — for the person and the spouse and the family — is incredibly hard,” Ken says. “Anything that can make the journey, the battle, a little bit easier on everybody involved is huge. Having a Foundation there to support the people involved in this terrible journey is important.”

Through philanthropy, MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital seeks to meet patients where they are and ensure everyone has the best chance at healing and a healthy future. Good Samaritan Foundation helps by removing mental, emotional and financial barriers so cancer patients can focus on navigating treatment, hospice patients can be freed from worry and patient families are fully supported.

You can support health and healing in East Pierce County with a gift to Good Samaritan Foundation.