In honor of my loved one, I’m supporting PanCAN’s vision to create a world in which all patients with pancreatic cancer will thrive.
What makes PanCAN's Patient Services extraordinary is that this service is free, and it’s available to patients and families even before diagnosis—helping explain how a diagnosis can be made, and what questions to ask early, when time is critical. For a cancer with such a poor survival rate, I consider this an absolutely essential service. PanCAN offers patients and families the tools, guidance, and community they need from the very first questions to navigating treatment and clinical trials.
When my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, I quickly learned how overwhelming and isolating the journey can feel. The PanCAN team was a lifeline for me and my family.
Within days of reaching out, a Patient Navigator emailed me a customized list of specialists near my dad’s ZIP code—including doctors’ names, institutions, and even how many pancreatic cancer patients they treated and surgeries they performed each year. That level of detail helped us make more informed decisions about his care.
Later, when we received his tumor marker results, PanCAN provided a personalized, 33-page report of clinical trials enrolling patients with his exact tumor markers and genomic profile. Having that knowledge in our hands gave us direction and hope in a time when it felt like we had very few options.
They also shared research on alternative therapies we were considering. I never once felt judged. It was a safe space to ask questions, explore possibilities, and weigh options without shame—something that is incredibly rare in the cancer world.
Even in small moments, their kindness showed through. When I couldn’t download an educational pamphlet, a Navigator not only sent it by email but also connected me with volunteer advocates. One was another daughter around the same age as me who had walked the same road I was walking—her father had recently passed away from pancreatic cancer. I never thought I would reach out to a stranger, but when I had nothing left to lose, I did. Her compassionate listening helped me keep going and keep advocating for my dad until the very end.
I am profoundly grateful for the support they gave me and my father. By making a gift in his honor, you'll help carry forward his legacy of strength and kindness, and ensure that other patients and families continue to receive the same compassion and guidance we did.
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