From Marine to PA school: How Austin Shinaberry became an advocate for veterans

This article was originally published on ClinicalAdvisor.com and was republished with permission. Written by Nikki Kean.

By high school, Austin Shinaberry knew he wanted to join the military. His grandfather served in World War II in the Army Air Corps, where he became a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany. “I had his diary from when he was a prisoner of war and his experience sparked an interest in me to want to join the military,” Shinaberry told The Clinical Advisor.

Early Exposure to Asbestos

It was during his service in the Marine Corps that Shinaberry was first exposed to asbestos. Shinaberry did his basic training in Parris Island, South Carolina, and then went to communication school at Fort Eisenhower, formerly known as Fort Gordon, in Augusta, Georgia. “There were signs posted all over our barracks [at Parris Island and Fort Eisenhower] warning of asbestos exposure,” he said. It was at Fort Eisenhower where many of his health issues began. Shinaberry recorded his exposures to asbestos throughout his training and deployments.

Shinaberry excelled in the Marines. He spent 2 years with the Seventh Communication Battalion, part of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, in Japan, and then the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, where he was attached to the USS Bonhomme Rashard, including deployments to South Korea, Australia, and Guam. From there, Shinaberry went to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

Road to PA Program

Berry accumulated 4 years of active and 4 years of inactive service in the Inactive ready reserves. After discharge from the Marines, Shinaberry moved to Tampa, Florida. Because of his exposure to asbestos, Shinaberry developed neuroendocrine tumor of the appendix that caused hematological conditions. A fellow veteran working at the VA Hospital suggested Shinaberry take an anatomy/physiology class at the local community college. “I liked the class and I started tutoring other students. This eventually led me to apply and get accepted to the University of South Florida, where I graduated with a bachelor’s in health science,” he said.

“I was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumor on my appendix, which is a very rare form of cancer.”

From there, the VA offered Shinaberry a benefit called Vocational rehabilitation and employment (Also known as Chapter 31.) where the VA assisted him in paying tuition, room and board to attend Physician Associate School. He is currently a PA student at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, where he is on his surgical rotation.

His Own Cancer Journey

Shinaberry credits his PA education with helping him to advocate for himself to get coverage for medical issues he developed while in service, including disability benefits. “I was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumor on my appendix, which is a very rare form of cancer,” he said. Initially, the VA did not want to cover his treatment, but Shinaberry was able to provide the VA with proof that the tumor was related to asbestos exposure during his time in the military. He also developed hematological conditions following his diagnosis related to his tumor.

The military has never questioned that Shinaberry was exposed to asbestos during his service. During the 6 months before his first diagnosis, the VA was trying to convince Shinaberry it “was in my head.” What he was experiencing was carcinoid syndrome, a paraneoplastic syndrome secondary to neuroendocrine tumors. “The tumor secretes hormones such as histamines, bradykinins, serotonin, which were building up in my body. I was having horrible abdominal pains, gastrointestinal upset, and other issues. I was in and out of the emergency department. The craziest thing was my labs reflected something abnormal, which I called out to the staff—otherwise, it would have just gotten worse and worse,” he said.

Eventually, Shinaberry underwent surgery to remove his appendix and the tumor was discovered. At the time of surgery, Shinaberry’s lymphocyte count was 60,000 mL (normal range, 1000-4,800 mL). Just before this interview, Shinaberry was finally approved for treatment hematological conditions after he proved that it was service-connected.

Advocate for Veterans

Shinaberry realized he had a talent for reading through complicated documents and filling out paperwork. The experience of having to prove his medical disability has led to a second [unpaid] “career” for Shinaberry. “It all started with my mailman. I was in the reserves at the time and he saw me in uniform and said that he was also a veteran. He noticed that I was collecting benefits from the VA. I asked if he was also getting benefits, and he said no, he had been out for a long time. I told him he may be missing out on benefits he is owed and to call or knock on my door and we will sit down. He came over, I helped him look through all his documents. I did a brief physical, reviewed his laboratory reports, went through his prior military records, and doctor reports.” Shinaberry helped the mailman fill out his VA paperwork and he received 70% disability pay.

This success has led to Shinaberry helping many more veterans. He worked at University of South Florida in the Veterans Department helping people fill out paperwork to qualify for education benefits. “It just became a habit of mine. Just yesterday I helped another veteran that I met when I was on rotations and I put his paperwork in. He was exposed to radiation on a submarine that went supercritical and he never used [applied for disability]. So I told him that he would probably qualify for 100% disability based on all the conditions he has developed. The VA says it’s an easy process but it’s not.”

It has been nice for Shinaberry to intertwine his military service, and knack for paperwork and computers, with wanting to help other veterans obtain the disability and educational benefits they deserve. “It feels like everything has led to this road,” he said.