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    Blog

    Jason Patten

    Jason Patten

    Jason Patten, has been committed to caring for his 11-year-old daughter, who has faced multiple debilitating conditions since birth. She cannot walk or talk, so Jason and his wife, Roxanne, work together to keep up with her care along with their other daughter. But, 2020 proved to be an even tougher year because Jason, himself, was diagnosed with a painful disease.

    “This past February, I started noticing weakness and tingling in my hands, and I didn’t think much of it,” Jason explains. “But it progressed rapidly, and there are some days that I am completely bed ridden.”

    Jason, a former mail carrier who is used to being on his feet for work, was diagnosed with CIDP. It’s a  chronic inflammatory disorder that targets his nerves. The effects have been devastating and Jason is now limited to a walker or wheelchair.

    “I have constant muscle spasms, painful aches across my entire body, my feet swell and my hands totally cramp up to the point of locking. I then need someone to pry them open to help release the pain.”

    The family, who lives in a farm house that dates back to the 1800s, is challenged by the setup of their home because it is not handicapped accessible.

    “It’s an accomplishment somedays if I can just make it outside to my porch to enjoy a nice day,” Jason says. “Going from an active mail carrier and avid outdoorsman, to this…it’s hard not to fall down a dark hole.”

    But, Jason says that he chooses to wake up each day with the hope that the day ahead is a good one – for him and his girls.

    “Having 26 Shirts focus on my story and help my family through a really tough time is an amazing blessing. I am very thankful for 26 Shirts and Buffalo as a whole. GO BILLS!”

    Jason Patten's shirt launched 12/19/20 and closes out 1/3/20. 

    This story is written by Kate Glaser and provided in partnership with Hope Rises: www.hoperisesnews.com 

    Garnet Loveday

    Garnet Loveday

    “It is what it is” is a motto that 29-year-old Garnet Loveday repeats to himself daily.

     “I cannot change having cancer, but ‘it is what it is’, and I will get through this,” says Garnet.

    This past summer into fall, Garnet and his fiancée, Autumn, were busy planning their wedding. They had big plans ahead of them, but one September morning changed their future.   

    “I had a debilitating headache. I called off work for fear of being sick, and not wanting to expose anyone. But then my headache turned into something much worse, and Autumn called for an ambulance.”

    Garnet had signs of neurological damage and doctors tried to install a shunt, but intense swelling prevented the operation. Doctors told Autumn to prepare for the worst.

    “They told her that I was going to die, and to call my family, who live near Albany, to get to Buffalo quickly,” Garnet explains. “But I got extremely lucky, and they were able to install the shunt after draining the fluid that had built up on my brain.”

    Garnet was put into a medically-induced coma and kept in the ICU for weeks, which is where doctors found a pineal tumor. Through successful surgery, the tumor inside his brain was removed along with the entire pineal gland. But, that tumor left a devastating impact.

    “The good news was that removal of the tumor was successful. The bad news was that it damaged my vision. That is hard for me because I rely on my vision so much – I am a competitive mountain biker, skier, and I don’t know if I will ever have the visual acuity that I did before.”

    Despite a chaotic experience, Garnet was discharged and optimistic for total healing. But a visit to Roswell Park revealed even further challenges.

    “I will never forget the resident’s face – even through his mask - when he told me that I had brain cancer.”

    Thoughts like – ‘How will I survive?’, ‘I want to be a dad someday’, and ‘I need to be here for my future wife’ raced through his head. Garnet immediately began radiation, chemotherapy and even underwent gamma knife surgery to have a fighting chance. He is now on oral chemo medication and will continue that for months, even years if necessary, until he is declared cancer free. 

    “Maybe more stressful than the tumor itself and the cancer diagnosis has been the financial strain of being sick,” he says. “So, when the community rallied behind me, behind us, it gave me a new lease on life.”

    Garnet says moving forward, this experience has taught him to appreciate the simplicity of life.

    “I am trying to connect with people more, and call my mom more. This community has done such a good thing for me, and there is nothing more special than that. I will continue to fight because so many have shown that they care.”

     Garnet Loveday’s shirt launched 12/14/20 and closes out 12/27/20. 

     This story is written by Kate Glaser and provided in partnership with Hope Rises: www.hoperisesnews.com.  

    Ryann Wing

    Ryann Wing

    When Robbin Wing was 20-weeks pregnant, she was put on bed rest. Her amniotic fluid was low, so doctors wanted to proceed with caution. But, at 34-weeks, Robbin went into labor to deliver her third child, a baby girl named Ryann. Robbin had no warning that her NICU baby would have a troubling diagnosis. 
     
    "I cried when I heard," Robbin says. "I didn't get to see her right away, but when I did it all sank in that we had many challenges ahead of us."
     
    Baby Ryann was diagnosed with a chromosome syndrome, which greatly impacts growth, development and muscle tone. Along with a cleft palate, she doesn't have the strength to suck or swallow the milk she needs to grow, so Ryann was put on a feeding tube. 
     
    "Her tiny body also requires oxygen, but I will tell you, she bounces back very quickly," Robbin exclaims. 
     
    Despite having more than a dozen medical specialists, in home nursing and an upcoming surgery for a facial defect, Robbin describes her daughter as the family's bright light. 
     
    "Our family may be going through so much, but we all have each other and Ryann is our reason to smile." 
     
    Now 9-months, Ryann continues to need around-the-clock care and specialized medical attention. Funds raised through the 26 Shirts campaign for Baby Ryann will greatly help with necessary medical equipment and the medical bills that continue to "pile up", according to Robbin. 
     
    "I am shocked, and also humbled that Del and his team would think of our family...our baby...and choose us," Robbin adds. "With her upcoming facial surgery, this is coming at the perfect time." 
     
    Baby Ryann's shirt launched 12/7/20 and closes out 12/20/20. 

    This story is written by Kate Glaser and provided in partnership with Hope Rises: https://www.facebook.com/hoperisesnews 

    Mike Wrazen

    Mike Wrazen

    When you see a photo of Hamburg resident, Mike Wrazen, he will most likely be smiling with his thumbs up.

    “He is very optimistic,” says his fiancée, Jill Swan. “Always looking toward the positives, and approaches life head on.”

     But the 43-year-old learned devastating news this past January when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, after months of unexplained weight loss. It’s what doctors call a, “silent and deadly” cancer.

    Despite the heartbreaking discovery, Mike has made a commitment to living life with hope and kindness, especially setting a positive example for the couple’s 6-year-old daughter, Gabriella.

    “We find hope in each other and in our daughter, as well as our faith,” Jill exclaims. “We really hold one another close.”

    Mike, a professional welder, has continued to work through the 15 rounds of chemotherapy, even going into work the day after treatment with a chemo bag attached to him. It’s a further example of his motto of “not giving up, and powering through the challenges”.

    Treatment for Mike failed this September and his cancer metastasized, so now the family is looking to cherish every single moment they have together. Mike is retiring at the end of November to enable him to spend undivided time with his girls. This means that support is important, now more than ever.

    “I reached out to Del, and told him our story and he put us right in the queue for a t-shirt in honor of Mike,” Jill says. “This is home. We wouldn’t chose to live anywhere else. Buffalo is truly the ‘City of Good Neighbors’. We feel the community wrapping their arms around us.”

    Mike Wrazen’s shirt launched 11/23/20 and closes out 12/6/20

    This story is written by Kate Glaser and provided in partnership with Hope Rises: https://www.facebook.com/hoperisesnews 

    26 Shirts and COVID-19

    At 26 Shirts we treat the health and safety of our employees and patrons with the utmost importance. We understand that you may have some concerns with regard to the outbreak of COVID-19, and we want to assure you that we are taking additional precautions to limit the spread of this virus in our community. We are carefully following all guidelines set forth by the CDC including such precautions as:

    1. Frequent hand washing with antibacterial soap for at least 20 seconds

    2. Thoroughly disinfecting all surfaces and frequently touched areas of the office including door knobs, light switches, phones, tables and desks

    3. Employees work from home to maintain social distancing

    During this uncertain time we are making every effort to continue business as usual, and continue helping individuals, families, and charities in need in our communities. Now, more than ever, we believe it is important to continue our mission of supporting those who need it most. 

    We intend to continue to release limited edition designs for our patrons to purchase to support our beneficiaries. However, recent government mandates regarding the functioning of non-essential businesses will make it impossible to keep to our standard shipping schedules. 

    Until these mandates are lifted, shipping for our time-limited campaigns must temporarily be put on hold. The moment we are able, we plan to ship all orders placed during this period of social distancing and quarantine. Therefore, if you are able, and see a design that you love, we ask that you continue to support us with your purchase, with the understanding that it will take some time before it reaches you. 

    We are all in this together.

    Your partners-in-good,

    The 26 Shirts Crew

    UPDATE, APRIL 6TH: Good news! We're happy to report that we ARE able to print and ship, it's just going to take longer than the standard 10-15 business day timeline. Rest assured you will receive your orders as quickly as possible! We are doing everything we can to get stuff out as quickly as we can. So we're at least happy to say we're not on pause, just slow motion. -Del