'We don’t live in this world all by ourselves': Owasso man battling cancer gets new roof thanks to neighbor, local business

A 70-year-old Owasso man fighting Stage 4 throat and tongue cancer has one less burden to bear after a local roofing company and a caring neighbor stepped in to repair his storm-damaged roof.

Danny Mashburn’s home suffered roof damage during a tornado that swept through Owasso in April. Due to his ongoing health issues and financial constraints, Mashburn had been unable to make the necessary repairs.

“He’s an elderly gentleman with late-stage cancer — your heart just goes out to him,” said Charles Wheeler, Mashburn’s neighbor. “He never asks for anything, and that’s the guy who deserves it.”

Wheeler took to social media to seek help, hoping someone might offer a patch or repair. That post caught the attention of Ryan Roofing, an Owasso-based contractor.

“We wanted to get involved. We wanted to help out as much as we could,” Lynsey Martin with Ryan Roofing said.

Mashburn’s daughter, Misty Moore, said the family had been struggling to find a way to fix the roof when they got the unexpected news.

“It’s a huge blessing for our family and for my dad in particular,” Moore said.

On one of the hottest days of the year, the roofing crew completed the job. As the work wrapped up, Wheeler reflected on what the Owasso community had accomplished through a simple Facebook post.

“I’m ecstatic, just to know what this guy’s going through. It’s too much,” Wheeler said. “We care about our neighbors — all of us should. We don’t live in this world all by ourselves, even though we think we do. We don’t.”

Ryan Roofing also discovered issues with Mashburn’s air-conditioning system and is now working to connect him with additional assistance.