{"id":114958,"date":"2019-03-16T08:01:29","date_gmt":"2019-03-16T13:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=114958"},"modified":"2019-03-16T08:26:51","modified_gmt":"2019-03-16T13:26:51","slug":"vw-angel-foundation-makes-trip-possible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2019\/03\/16\/vw-angel-foundation-makes-trip-possible\/","title":{"rendered":"VW Angel Foundation makes trip possible"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

VW independent\/submitted information<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allen Shinnaberry and Mike Semer, both from Van Wert, met 18 years ago putting on gospel music concerts locally at places like Fountain Park, the Apple Festival, and Old Fashioned Farmers Days. Shinnaberry was the sound tech. Over the years the two became close friends, \u201clike brothers.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A couple of years ago, Shinnaberry was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In February, he requested a wish through the Angel Foundation in Van Wert for him and his wife, Joanne, to go to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, with their close friends Mike and Edna Semer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEdna and I were honored that he would think of including us in his wish,\u201d said Mike Semer. \u201cHe and I, and our wives, have grown close over the years but this [trip] really solidified our relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Mike and Edna Semer and Allen and Joanne Shinnaberry, all of Van Wert, at the Dixie Stampede during Allen Shinnaberry\u2019s wish trip to Gatlinburg\/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The trip was provided through the Angel Foundation, an organization based in Van Wert that provides wishes for terminally-ill adults in Ohio.\u00a0<\/strong>photo\u00a0provided<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The couples had made similar trips to the same destination in the past, but this trip would be different, much deeper than just another vacation. Allen was dealing with a terminal illness and Edna Semer had just gone through a bout with stomach cancer over the previous months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Angel Foundation is a wish program for terminally-ill adults offered through Community Health Professionals (CHP) in Van Wert and is partner agency with United Way of Van Wert County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Angel Foundation made Shinnaberry\u2019s wish a reality by assisting with reservations and providing money for food, gas, attractions, and souvenirs for a six-day trip from February 25 to March 2 to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. The couples stayed at the Semer\u2019s timeshare condo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It was a fantastic trip; it was like a family outing,” said Shinnaberry. \u201cHaving Mike and Edna with us made it special. Mike is like a brother to me, and he took care of me like a baby chick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During their trip, the couples took in many of the traditional landmarks of the area, including The Old Mill Restaurant, Paula Deen\u2019s, and Three Bears General Store. Their most memorable activities, according to Shinnaberry, were Dick\u2019s Last Resort, the Dixie Stampede, and Brian Hoffman\u2019s Red Skelton tribute show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cI called ahead to most of the places we were planning to go to make handicap arrangements and to let them know what was happening with this being a wish trip,\u201d said Semer. \u201cThe general manager at Dick\u2019s (a chain of restaurants known for its intentionally obnoxious servers and wacky atmosphere where patrons are insulted and placed in uncomfortable situations) said, \u2018We\u2019ll give you an experience you won\u2019t forget.\u2019 Allen had no idea what to expect going in!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey throw napkins at you, put paper hats on you, and the waitress did snow angels on the floor in all the napkins,\u201d Shinnaberry said. \u201cI was getting pretty upset and asked to speak to the manager, and then Mike let me in on what was going on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Allen\u2019s health and since Edna had just gone through cancer, the couples paced their schedule to include time to rest during the days. But, they would go out most evenings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAllen really wanted to go to the Dixie Stampede and he was having a rough day with pain that afternoon,\u201d said Semer. \u201cBut he got it under control and he had a wonderful time there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Hoffman\u2019s Tribute to Red Skelton, Shinnaberry had a front row center seat and got to meet Hoffman after the show and found him to be personable, even going the extra mile of helping Shinnaberry to the restroom and to their car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe people there gave me VIP treatment everywhere I went,\u201d Shinnaberry said. \u201cNobody made a big issue about my disease, they just went out of their way to treat me well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trip also provided the opportunity for close friends to discuss important, albeit sensitive, matters facing the reality of the situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe reflected back, but also discussed the future, like planning the music for his funeral,\u201d Semer said. \u201cIt\u2019s a hard thing to approach, but we did it. I feel blessed to have had that time with Allen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both men credit their faith in God as the sustaining force in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been struggling with [cancer] for over two years and it\u2019s the hardest thing you\u2019ll ever face,\u201d said Shinnaberry. \u201cBut God has taken care of me. God made this trip possible. Through his pain, Jesus paid for all my pain and suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Semer says he\u2019s been inspired by how his friend has carried himself through his struggle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re both strong believers, but Allen\u2019s been a true example through all of this,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen him angry about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now back in Van Wert, both Shinnaberry and Semer reflect thankfully for the time together this Angel Foundation trip afforded them. The reality of a terminal cancer diagnosis makes their memories bittersweet, but they believe they couldn\u2019t have asked for more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shinnaberry receives care at his home through CHP Home Care & Hospice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe nurses all care for me and will do anything to care for me,\u201d Shinnaberry said. \u201cThey come at night if you have a special need. It\u2019s painful at times and the nurses are right there to help you through — they know just what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The purpose of all Angel Foundation wishes is to make a significant impact in the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of the wish recipient and to hopefully create fond, lasting memories for loved ones that are left behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll told, I think [the trip] was so good for him,\u201d Semer said, \u201cbecause it just seemed like everything brightened up for him; not only when we were there, but all the way back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shinnaberry says he\u2019s thankful to everybody involved in making his wish come true, including all those who provide financial support for The Angel Foundation and CHP Hospice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Angel Foundation is a really nice thing,\u201d he said. \u201cTo know somebody cares about you. It shows people aren\u2019t giving up on you, you\u2019re still special.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

VW independent\/submitted information Allen Shinnaberry and Mike Semer, both from Van Wert, met 18 years ago putting on gospel music concerts locally at places like Fountain Park, the Apple Festival, and Old Fashioned Farmers Days. Shinnaberry was the sound tech. Over the years the two became close friends, \u201clike brothers.\u201d  A couple of years ago, Shinnaberry was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-03 13:16:26","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114958\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}