Played Quark on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"

When my wife Kitty was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, her oncologist said, “Don’t go online and look up the survival rate for pancreatic cancer.”

He added, “Your wife is not a number – she is a person, and we will treat her as a person.”

Eighteen years later, Kitty is a pancreatic cancer survivor. And her family, her friends and I feel enormously lucky.

But unfortunately, a significant majority are not born under Kitty’s lucky star. When Kitty was diagnosed, the survival rate was 4%; today, it’s 11%, thanks largely to PanCAN’s work.

My goal in getting involved with PanCAN by starting Team Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer at PurpleStride Los Angeles is simple: I want to see the survival rate increase. I now want to see it go from 11% to 100%. No one should die of pancreatic cancer. No family should lose a loved one to a horrible disease.

Research into one cancer helps in addressing others. But for that to happen, we need everyone’s support — especially their financial support — to bolster PanCAN’s innovations and patient support.

In “Star Trek,” there are devices called tricorders that scan your body and repair what’s been damaged. That’s a gadget I’d like to see, but for now, our best bet is people who want to help. Good people who believe in hope, kindness and a willingness to reach out a hand to others. 

I ask you to join us. Join Team Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer at PanCAN PurpleStride Los Angeles 2022, and let’s raise money to bring us to that future.