Shawn Returns to the Ice

When Shawn started having headaches at the beginning of his junior year of high school, he and his family hoped they would pass with time. But when the pain grew worse and started waking Shawn up in the middle of the night, his parents knew they needed answers.

A CT scan revealed what no family wants to hear: Shawn had a brain tumor.

Shawn came to Children's National, where he began his care journey led by Adriana Fonseca Sheridan, MD. He faced chemotherapy, multiple surgeries, radiation and months away from regular practices and games.

Before his diagnosis, Shawn was a talented ice hockey player who earned a spot with the Potomac Patriots Junior Team at just 16. He spent every moment he could on the ice. Hockey was central to his life and his hopes for the future.

When his neurosurgeon, John S. Myseros, MD, told him he had to stop playing following his initial surgery, Shawn was devastated. His parents say it was the first and only time they saw him cry during his cancer journey. Even while he could not play, he attended practices and team events whenever he had the strength.

Hockey seemed to follow Shawn throughout his care. Dr. Fonseca knew the sport through her husband, and some nurses had grown up with Capitals season tickets.

Throughout his treatment, Shawn's Potomac Patriots community made sure he continued to feel like part of the team. Coach Alex Grose greeted him with hugs and invited him to his Grose Skills summer camp. Assistant Coach Ryan Freeman welcomed him into private training sessions, sometimes alongside teammates, helping him regain his conditioning and feel like himself again. Patriots' owner RJ Zeigler offered ice time at no cost whenever Shawn was able to skate.

These connections helped Shawn tremendously, bringing something familiar and support into a frightening experience.

During treatment, Shawn began a six-month course of chemotherapy, but after several rounds, an MRI showed that the tumor was not shrinking enough. He needed brain surgery to remove the tumor. Remarkably, Dr. Myseros was able to remove 100% of the tumor during that operation.

Shawn's dad still thinks about the surgery's complexity and the skill it required.

"From what I've gathered, it's one of the hardest surgeries to do in the brain," Shawn's dad says. "Dr. Myseros has just been a blessing and an angel sent to save our son."

Shawn's mom, Ratha, is grateful for Dr. Fonseca's patience and compassion. Dr. Fonseca explained his tumor and treatment step by step, answering questions and reassuring the family when they were scared.

"Knowing that she was there for him — and for us — gave me comfort during some of the most frightening moments of our lives," Ratha says. "We will always remember the nurses who stood beside our family through this journey, and they will forever hold a very special place in our hearts."

After surgery, Shawn completed his treatment and celebrated by ringing the bell with his care team and family at Children's National.

"Everybody at Children's National, from the doctors and nurses to the people who change the light bulbs, they’re all amazing," Shawn's dad says. "I don’t think we would have been able to get through this without them."

Shawn was medically cleared to return to hockey on April 30, 2026. As he enters his senior year, he is back with his teammates. On September 4, 2026, he played in a preseason game against George Mason University, his first game after cancer treatment. Afterward, he told his dad that he was happy and grateful to be back on the ice.

Once he graduates, Shawn hopes to continue playing hockey in college or overseas and study kinesiology, with the goal of becoming a physical therapist and one day working with hockey teams.

"I'm happy to finish all the treatments, move on and get back to school and hockey," Shawn says. "I'm excited to live a normal life."