Carl Shambaugh is well known in sports circles in his hometown of Salem, and beyond. A few years after graduating from high school he participated in open try-outs for a spot on the Boston Red Sox. And in 1996 and 1997 he played semi-pro football for the Lynn Havoc, helping them clinch New England Football League championships both years.

In August 2003, on a day he was scheduled to pitch back-to-back baseball games, Shambaugh woke up in such pain that he could hardly walk. He called his sister Jennifer, hoping she could massage the aches and pains away. Still in a great deal of pain despite the massage, he went to the first game, but couldn't pitch. Hoping he would feel better at the second game, he instead drove straight home and crawled into bed. It was then that Shambaugh's girlfriend, Sharon, took him to the hospital. After a battery of tests at NSMC Salem Hospital, Shambaugh was shocked to learn that his pain was anything but sports-related. He had stage 4 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Shambaugh immediately began treatment at a large hospital in Boston, but quickly decided to switch to the NSMC Cancer Center in Peabody for two important reasons. His cancer was spreading and he longed to have his loved ones nearby. “When you go through something like this you need people around you at all times,” Shambaugh said. “Everyone (at the Cancer Center) knew who I was. They were there for me all the time.”

Thanks to aggressive treatment directed by NSMC medical oncologist Dr. Joel Schwartz (who is also chief of hematology and oncology) and NSMC medical oncologist and hematologist Dr. Steven McAfee, as well as a life-saving bone marrow transplant from his brother Sam, Shambaugh is doing well. Another huge factor in his recovery has been the constant support of Michael Fritz, a life-long friend and fellow Salem resident who, among other things, organized a highly successful benefit to help pay for Shambaugh’s medical treatment.

UPDATE:  Today, Shambaugh is thrilled to be healthy and working full-time as a parts clerk at Land Rover of Peabody. He is also back to playing all the sports he loves.