I'm raising money in support of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network by participating in PurpleStride. 

My involvement with PanCan started in June of 2015 when my mother, Debbie, passed away at the age of 63 from pancreatic cancer, after only being diagnosed 22 days prior. Her mother passed away at the age of 59 after fighting colon cancer for years and then pancreatic cancer for only a couple of months. My family has a gene mutation called Lynch Syndrome so I know it's genetic I know I am at high risk for developing cancer I know it's up to me to wage hope for myself, my children and their children.
By the time my mom had any symptoms it was too late. She had been telling her primary doctor her suspicions but there are many steps that must be taken before allowing her to take an MRI, the current only source for spotting pancreatic cancer. Once they saw it on a scan they referred her to Baylor in Dallas. A week later she had an appointment where they reviewed it. The next week another appointment to tell her the plan. The next week an appointment to start treatment. Between those three appointments she went from walking to needing a wheelchair. Upon bloodwork results at the last appointment they called her on her way home and told her to come back, she needed to be admitted 4 days later she was gone.
In the weeks that followed, when sorting through her things, I found countless notes filled with health concerns she kept to take with her to doctors appointments. It was the first time I realized how long she had been living in fear of the disease that ended up taking her life. It broke my heart because now every time I get a stomach ache, or back pain, I also worry.
Since then I found a family at PanCan. I jumped in to do all I can to fight back and wage hope. I lead a team for the 2015 PurpleStride, my son and I attended Advocacy Day at Capitol Hill in June of 2016 and I served as Affiliate Chair for the DFW affiliate for 3 years! I'm honored to be someone people can reach out to and introduce them to a group of people that know exactly what they're going through. I remember being in that position and how comforting it was to feel part of something bigger than my grief. If pancreatic cancer finds me, then it went looking for a fight!

By making a donation to my page or my teams page, you are supporting efforts to double survival for this deadly disease by 2020, and telling me you care about my future and my children's future.

Please make a donation today and help me to reach my fundraising goal!