By Melissa Yerkov
Times Sports Editor
A few years ago, Shannon Brown didn’t think she’d be alive to see her 11th birthday.
But a miraculous recovery gave her a second chance at life. And she’s taking full advantage of every minute.
"When I was in fourth grade I got diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome," said Shannon, now 14. "I don’t know what exactly happened. I was out of it the whole time. But I know I was in the hospital for two weeks and the doctors thought I would die. They said I had about three days to live."
Toxic shock syndrome is a rare, often life-threatening disease that rapidly affects organ systems like the lungs, kidneys and liver. It is caused by an infection that can quickly worsen if the person has not developed a strong immunity to it.
"It was very sudden. I woke up one morning and felt like I was paralyzed," she recalled. "My mom came in to wake me up for school and I couldn’t move."
The cause of Shannon’s case is still unknown — it could have been any toxin she encountered. But she was admitted to the hospital and given 72 hours to live.
"It was something that she had inhaled," said Shannon’s father, Richard, who was serving in Afghanistan with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard at the time of his daughter’s illness. "I got word that I had to get home, but they didn’t tell me why. It takes three days to get home from a combat zone, so I never would have made it in time to say goodbye. But by the time I got home, she was on her way to recovery.
"The doctors didn’t know how she recovered," he continued. "We’re faithful people. To me, it was a miracle. When I got there, a representative for the Center for Disease Control was there and explained to me it was toxic shock, but he didn’t know how she encountered it."
Although the Somerton teen survived the infection, it damaged her Achilles tendons, making it very difficult for her to continue her active and athletic lifestyle.
Shannon was a regular on the softball diamond, as well as the soccer field and basketball court. But after her brush with death, those sports no longer were an option.
So Shannon had a new dream.
A dream to race.
"It’s a huge motivator when you almost lose your daughter," said Richard. "And then she comes to you with a dream. You want to make sure it happens."
Since overcoming toxic shock syndrome, Shannon may not be able to run, but she’s still moving fast.
"It seemed like the right thing," said Richard. "Being the competitor that she is, she still wanted to beat the boys. She couldn’t go on a basketball court or soccer field, so this was a way for her to still compete."
These days, Shannon Brown drives a Gerdelmann Slingshot junior dragster, powered by five-horsepower engines that can produce speeds up to 90 mph. She has been participating with the U.S. Navy Racing Team and traveling throughout the nation for various competitions during the past two years.
The Navy is a non-monetary sponsor of the team. The financial demands of the sport — the race cars, the safety modifications — are the responsibility of the young drivers and their families.
The Junior Drag Racing League was founded in 1992 and has more than 4,000 members who range in age from 8 to 17. Drivers ages 13 to 17 can cover the one-eighth-mile track in less than eight seconds at 90 mph.
"Shannon took to it real well," said Richard. "She has the confidence and the talent. And I’ve always loved watching my daughter go out and compete."
Shannon’s teammate, 16-year-old Maria Baehr, of Maple Shade, N.J., also is a junior dragster racer.
"They’re both deadly," said Richard. "They’re both really good at what they do."
These days, Shannon looks like a pro on the racetrack. But it was a rocky start for the teenager, who first got into a junior dragster four years ago.
"I never really learned how to race. I just kind of got in the car and went. But my dad taught me how to use everything inside of the car and get my gear ready and everything," she explained.
"My first car didn’t have brakes when we got it," she said. "My dad and brother wanted me to take it out. It was really snowy at the time, and I remember just flying down the driveway and almost going out into the street. I almost crashed. But that just made me want to do it more, because I respected it."
Fortunately, Shannon has never crashed on the track. But even if she were to lose control and roll the car, her safety isn’t an afterthought. She wears a full fire suit, and her car is equipped with three kill switches and a rear parachute to slow the racer.
"As far as strapping your daughter into a car, I’m a little more hands-on than most fathers," said Richard. "I check over her seats, her seatbelts, all of her safety equipment. And we keep improving her safety equipment. We’re actually going to put a fire-extinguisher system on board, so if she hits a button it encapsulates the engine in foam, just like the pros do."
Her father is the perfect guy to have when it comes to safety. He has been a lieutenant with the Philadelphia Fire Department for 16 years. He also has been a professional crew member since 1976, working with his brother, who raced a car at speeds over 200 mph.
The need for speed must be in the Brown family genes. Shannon and a cousin, Chris, have years of experience in drag racing. And Richard served as crew chief for both his daughter and nephew.
"My dad is extremely supportive," said Shannon. "I went to Chris’ races a lot. My dad was his crew chief, so I would help out when I was there."
As Shannon quickly learned, however, working on a racetrack is quite different from driving on one.
"The first time I got in the driver’s seat, I was pretty scared," she recalled. "It can be very intimidating. But now, since I’ve been doing it for a while, I really have fun with it.
"It’s not only about winning," she continued. "If all you think about is winning, it’s not as fun. So I just always do my best and enjoy it."
And through every race, Richard Brown is by his daughter’s side — as her mentor, her crew chief and her father.
"We’ve always been close," he said. "Shannon is my best friend, there’s no two ways about it. We can talk about anything. She’s wise beyond her years.
"On race day, we want to punch each other every now and then," he said with a laugh. "It’s tough to relinquish your powers as a dad. But I strap her in and then I step away and it’s all on her. And I’m OK with that because I trust her."
It takes a lot of faith to allow your 14-year-old daughter behind the wheel of a car that can do 90. However, in addition to the safety precautions, the drivers’ speed is closely monitored in every race.
For the next few years, Shannon plans to compete with the Navy Racing Team. Once she’s 17, she’ll have opportunity to expand her racing career . . . and increase her speed.
"You read articles all the time about these young girl drag racers who are now in the professional ranks doing 350 miles per hour," said Richard. "It’s a big jump from 90 to 350 miles per hour, but she wouldn’t be the first one to do it. And that’s where we want her to go."
Which is just fine with this speed racer.
"I want to race as a career," Shannon said. "And I definitely want to stick with drag racing. I would like to stay with racing, and if not, I would like to help out with racing."
She flashed a big smile.
"I love to drive fast." ••
Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com