Fourteen-year-old Shane DiGiovanna has wanted to be part of the exploration of space since he was a toddler.
Today, he came one step closer when he met two men who have explored space and had the opportunity to ask them his most burning questions about the future of NASA and their experiences in space.
Astronauts Captain Jim Lovell and Captain Gene Cernan were at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center this morning for a ceremony to launch the Neil Armstrong New Frontiers Initiative.
Armstrong, an Ohio native and the first man to walk on the moon, died in Cincinnati last Saturday at age 82. The memorial fund was established by the Armstrong family to further the mission of the medical center.
The opportunity to meet Lovell and Cernan was a dream come true for Shane, who was born with a rare, fragile skin condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa, which causes the layers of his skin not to bind together.
Shane would be an astronaut but his skin condition will not allow that. He wants to do “the next best thing” by becoming an aerospace engineer and astrophysicist. He would love to work for NASA, and he says: “I’ve been really interested in space ever since I was three or four. In fact my first word was airplane, so Neil Armstrong has always been a personal hero of mine. Now, hopefully he will serve as an inspiration for all of the patients at Cincinnati Children’s with this new fund.”
Shane is an 8th grader at The Seven Hills School in Cincinnati and a member of the Cincinnati Children’s Patient Advisory Group. He lives in Cincinnati with his parents Chuck and Patsy, sister Meggie and dog Fred.
Give a gift to the Neil Armstrong New Frontiers Initiative.
Shane DiGiovanna – You are an amazing young man. All the best to you in achieving your future goals!