{"id":513491,"date":"2026-04-05T01:55:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T01:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/513491\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T01:55:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T01:55:16","slug":"shane-digiovanna-1998-2026-by-jim-swift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/513491\/","title":{"rendered":"Shane DiGiovanna, 1998\u20132026 – by Jim Swift"},"content":{"rendered":"

Happy Saturday! Overtime is for everyone. If you\u2019re a Bulwark+ member: thank you. If you\u2019re not, there\u2019s no better time to subscribe to Bulwark+<\/a> than today. If you like today\u2019s issue, you can share this newsletter with someone you think would value it.<\/p>\n

This week\u2019s Overtime is going to be a bit different. Come with me on a brief journey to remember our friend Shane DiGiovanna.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>(Composite by Hannah Yoest\/ Photos: Aaron Bludworth \/ GettyImages \/ Shutterstock)<\/p>\n

SHANE DIGIOVANNA WANTED to be an astronaut. From the time he was a child, reading Cosmos at age 7, Shane was captivated by the same sense of wonder that has driven generations of explorers\u2014from NASA scientists to backyard stargazers.<\/p>\n

As I sat on the couch Wednesday in Cincinnati to watch the launch of Artemis II with my daughters\u2014watching them watch in wonder\u2014I couldn\u2019t help but hide a tear or two, as I knew Shane had the best seat in the house. He died Monday, March 31, at the age of 27 and a half.<\/p>\n

Shoot for the moon, the saying goes, and you\u2019ll end up among the stars. Shane\u2019s epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a lifelong incurable condition that causes incredibly fragile skin, made becoming an astronaut impossible. But it never stopped him from reaching for it anyway. He experienced more space-related activities than most people ever will: weightless flights with his family; seeing the Mars rover Curiosity in the clean room; meeting the people who built it; standing alongside astronauts Jim Lovell and Gene Cernan at 14 for a press conference<\/a> announcing the launch of a children\u2019s health fund created in honor of Neil Armstrong at Cincinnati Children\u2019s, the very place that helped make Shane\u2019s extraordinary life possible. Whenever he could, Shane put himself as close to the center of that universe as possible.<\/p>\n

Shane wrote<\/a>: \u201cStar Trek showed me a world where anyone can explore the stars, no matter who you are. It made a big difference to me when I was growing up. I would (and still do) distract myself during my bandage changes and dream of being a Starfleet captain.\u201d<\/p>\n

I first met Shane in person after he emailed last spring to mention he\u2019s a big-time Bulwark reader and a fellow Cincinnatian. He told me that space was his \u201cpassion,\u201d an early and enduring fascination that clicked with his love of language, learning, and the big questions about how the world works. Whether it was space, politics, political maps (a subject area he was known for commenting expertly about on Twitter), or wanting to selflessly help those afflicted by EB, Shane\u2019s intelligence and passion for life always shined through.<\/p>\n

Shane and his mother, Patsy, sat down with me last year for a profile<\/a>. They gave nearly three hours to me and my friend, Bulwark reader and photographer Aaron Bludworth. Shane was clear-eyed about his health; in addition to his EB, he had been dealing with cancer treatments for a few years. He knew his time was limited. But he wanted to spend his remaining days fighting RFK Jr., Elon Musk, and DOGE, not just for himself, though there was real concern about what their depredations meant for him, but for others like him. Shane carried himself like a Starfleet captain, looking out for his fleet: people with a long road ahead.<\/p>\n

We also did a video interview<\/a> so his fellow Bulwark fans could see his face and hear him speak.<\/p>\n

Then, last fall, Shane entered hospice\u2014and took the opportunity to throw himself an amazing celebration of life<\/a> while he was still in shape to do it. People came from all around the pale blue dot to be there. Despite us all knowing the reason we were there, it was hardly somber; hell, it was more fun than most weddings I\u2019ve ever been to. (You can read Shane\u2019s speech here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

But Shane was still not done: In the last months of his life, he worked with our congressman, Greg Landsman, on legislation (H.R. 7877) to help others with EB<\/a>. He got to become texting buddies and zoom with former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Greg said that what stayed with him most from their conversations was simple<\/a>: \u201cJust do the right thing. Always do the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to read Shane\u2019s obituary<\/a> and see the memories from his loved ones, that\u2019d be a great way to honor Shane. And if you\u2019d like do something more concrete to honor his memory, there are two things you might consider:<\/p>\n

First, you can donate to his endowment at Cincinnati Children\u2019s: Doggie\u2019s Friends<\/a>. Shane helped start Doggie\u2019s Friends, an effort to get comfort items to children facing the kinds of long, isolating hospital stays Shane knew well. The idea, he said, was to focus on \u201cthe kids who are dealt a really bad hand from the beginning\u201d\u2014not the routine injuries, but \u201cthe 5-year-old who is in their twenty-seventh surgery . . . and desperately needs a friend to cuddle with and to talk to.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other thing you could do doesn\u2019t cost anything: Get your member of the House<\/a> to cosponsor his namesake bill, H.R. 7877, the Shane DiGiovanna Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Share<\/a><\/p>\n

IN THE YEAR OR SO I GOT TO KNOW SHANE\u2014in fact, from the very first email he sent\u2014I knew heartbreak was on the horizon. But neither that reality, nor the condition that debilitated Shane, diminished him. Most notably, Shane had his own gravity: He pulled you in. You had no choice if he wanted you in his orbit.<\/p>\n

\u201cA short but well lived life\u201d a friend and fellow Bulwark reader observed. \u201cIncredible, the gifts we receive when we finally open our eyes.\u201d Indeed.<\/p>\n

Like all who were pulled into Shane\u2019s orbit, either by chance, fate, or luck, I will miss our friend, and won\u2019t forget him. The Bulwark community is richer for having him as a shining part of its tapestry.<\/p>\n

\"TrumpTrump Needs Approval for This War (w\/ Michael O\u2019Hanlon)<\/a>The Iran Hawks Are Losing Their Heads<\/a>\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

I AM AN IRAN HARDLINER. But I\u2019m struggling to understand how other hardliners can be so credulous about Trump\u2019s leadership of this war. It\u2019s as if you were stranded by the side of the road and accepted a ride from an obviously drunk driver.<\/p>\n

Zelensky\u2019s Kickass Two Weeks<\/a>\"Zelensky\u2019s<\/a><\/p>\n

FOR UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, the last two weeks have been a remarkable moment in the spotlight. There was his Middle East visit to promote Ukrainian drone defense technologies and finalize new security partnerships with Gulf nations. He has pitched interceptor drones to Israel, where Benjamin Netanyahu maintains a wary distance. He has kept the focus on Russia\u2019s intelligence-sharing support to Iran, producing evidence that Russian intel probably facilitated the Iranian strike on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia that that wounded more than a dozen U.S. troops, damaged several refueling planes, and destroyed a vital aircraft. And he has continued to walk the tightrope required to maintain a functional relationship with the United States under Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

Tech support questions? Email members@thebulwark.com<\/a>. Questions for me? Respond to this message.<\/p>\n

\u201430\u2014<\/p>\n

Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.<\/p>\n