If you’ve been reading MetsToday for the past week, you know my dog went through a rough stretch — and is still recovering.

I was beyond thrilled on Monday when she came home, but the happiness dampened the next day by terrible news: Shannon Forde was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer that has metastasized to her lymph nodes and bones.

As the Senior Director of Media Relations for the Mets, Shannon has been my connection to the franchise for the past several years. Technically, it’s been a working relationship, but it has always felt much more than that; she’s more like a friend who happens to be employed the Mets. Shannon has gone above and beyond the call of duty in her role, making a lowly blogger like me feel as important as Jon Heyman — whether it’s setting up a one-on-one interview in the Mets locker room with R.A. Dickey, helping me arrange a lunch for Mike Piazza, or listening to me banter on about my concern for Johan Santana‘s arm. It’s not just about the cool connections, though. She’s one of those people who, immediately upon entering a room (or a dugout), make you feel happy and comfortable. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her without her warm, infectious smile.

While Shannon fights for her life, she continues to work for the Mets and tend to her family. The bills are already piling up, so her friends and family have joined up with two amazing organizations, The Daniel P. Ryan Foundation and The Chic Charity Club, to raise money and support Shannon with the medical expenses as well as her household expenses. If you’d like to help, you can make a donation that will go directly toward those expenses. Additionally, on Thursday, November 1st, there will be a fund-raising dinner at the Westmont Country Club in Woodland Park, NJ, as well as a separate “meet and greet” autograph session, where Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, John Franco, Bobby Ojeda, Edgardo Alfonzo, Al Leiter, Ed Charles,Ed Kranepool, and Sean Landeta will be available for photos and autographs. Additionally, Ron Darling will be the evening’s emcee. There are tickets available for both the dinner and the autograph session, and again, the proceeds will go directly toward helping Shannon and her family through this challenging time. All the details can be found at the website HopeShinesforShannon.com.

In addition to taking a moment to think good thoughts for Shannon and her family, I hope you consider attending the event and/or making a donation.