Everything you need to cover the story

Short bio

Shane Yerkes is a healthcare technology executive, writer, traveler, and devoted father who lives in the South Carolina Lowcountry with his son, Conor, and their dog, Moultrie.

After losing his wife of twenty years to cancer in 2022, Shane set out with his ten-year-old son on a nearly month-long road trip across America in a self-built overland camper. What began as a journey through grief became a story of resilience, healing, and hope, first shared through his blog, On the Healing Road, and now in his debut book.

When he isn't writing, Shane enjoys boating, woodworking, exploring new cultures, and discovering exceptional food, wine, and spirits. Professionally, he has spent more than fifteen years helping healthcare organizations improve safety, manage risk, and leverage technology to deliver better outcomes.

Shane believes that when life presents an obstacle, the only way is through — and that compassion, courage, and connection can guide us forward.

Long bio

Shane Yerkes is a healthcare technology executive, writer, traveler, and devoted father who lives along the Broad River in the South Carolina Lowcountry with his son, Conor, and their dog, Moultrie.

In April 2022, after standing beside his wife throughout her four-year battle with cancer, Shane found himself navigating life as a widowed father to their ten-year-old son. Determined to honor a promise he had made to his boy — and to discover what life might look like beyond grief — he converted his pickup truck into an overland camper and set out on a nearly month-long journey across America. What began as a father-son road trip became a deeply transformative experience, chronicled through a blog called On the Healing Road. The response from readers, combined with a desire to preserve the lessons learned along the way, inspired this, his first book.

An avid adventurer, Shane has explored much of the United States by motorcycle, RV, truck, and boat. He believes that travel has a unique way of broadening perspective, fostering connection, and reminding us that healing often begins when we continue moving forward.

When he isn't writing, he enjoys boating, woodworking, discovering exceptional food, wine, and spirits, and pursuing creative projects around the home.

Professionally, Shane has spent more than fifteen years helping healthcare organizations improve safety, manage risk, and leverage technology to deliver better outcomes for patients and caregivers.

His guiding philosophy is simple: when life places an obstacle in your path, the only way is through. Through his writing, Shane hopes to encourage others facing adversity to embrace resilience, practice self-advocacy, lead with compassion, and find their own path forward.

"As someone who has spent a career studying resilience, I was struck by the authenticity of this story. Shane Yerkes doesn't offer easy answers to grief. Instead, he shows that healing unfolds through connection, meaning, and the courage to keep moving forward. This is a deeply personal and inspiring memoir that will resonate with anyone who has loved, lost, and searched for hope again."

— Keith M. Bellizzi, PhD, MPH
Professor and Resilience Researcher, University of Connecticut
Author of Falling Forward

On the Healing Road reminds readers that while grief changes us, it does not have to define us. Reading this memoir evokes a deep sense of comfort and shared understanding — offering a gentle space to breathe for anyone traveling a similar path.

"Shane Yerkes captures the raw, messy reality of caregiving and navigating life after the death of a spouse. Its core message is clear: healing is not about forgetting, but about learning to carry love forward into a meaningful tomorrow. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has experienced loss. It is a life-affirming companion that will encourage your soul."

— Jerry Pierson
Author of Carrie's Journal: A Journey Through Life and Loss

"What stayed with me most is what you built out of that loss. Taking your son on the road for a month, letting the miles do some of the work that words couldn't is a portrait of grief that doesn't ask us to move past loss, but to move through it, together. Your message of hope isn't a denial of the pain; it's proof that healing and grief can sit side by side, and that love keeps finding ways to show up even after the worst has happened."

— Carrie Hopson-Doubts, early reader
Written to the author as a letter; read in full on the praise page.