Welcome to Our PanCAN PurpleStride Team Fundraising Page!

Our team wants to make the biggest impact on the lives of pancreatic cancer patients – and we need you to do it!

We’re taking steps at the ultimate walk to end pancreatic cancer, PanCAN PurpleStride, on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

A little over two years ago, on 2/2/22, my amazing mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The news cut our whole family at the knees, and we knew that with one little word, our lives would be forever changed. But what that one little word didn't know is that my mom is one tough woman who has an army of support by her side.

Thankfully, my mom was a candidate for the Whipple procedure, and that was performed on March 17, 2022. We felt the luck of the Irish was certainly with us! The eight-hour surgery was a success but did not come without complications. She was at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston for thirty-five days and in April of 2022, she spent three days in the ICU. It was a long hard journey to recovery, but through it all she persevered with her strong faith and incredible determination.

In June of 2022, my mom began a 6-month chemo regime and on November 8, 2022, we celebrated the end to her chemo. It was not an easy five months, but we held onto hope and as my mom would always say, "cancer messed with the wrong woman!" On December 20, 2022, my family broke out the champagne to celebrate the most amazing news...my mom's first cat scan after the chemo showed no signs of cancer. We felt it truly was a Christmas miracle.

For the next several months, my family felt like we had our mom back and the word cancer was going to be a distant memory. Life was good and we were so grateful.

In July 2023, my mom went for her routine six-month cat scan, and we all expected it to be good news. I don't think any of us allowed ourselves to think otherwise. So, when my mom got the call that the cancer had returned, the news shook my family to our core. This time the cancer was in the liver, lymph nodes, portal vein and the skin around the colon. We were stunned. We still are. But my mom said it was time to put her boxing gloves on and fight the beast once again.

We knew my mom needed all the tools in the toolbox to fight this metastatic cancer, and so she switched her care to Dana Farber (also hoping she would be eligible for a clinical trial). In August of 2023, she started an aggressive form of chemo. The chemo is HARD. She gets extremely fatigued, nauseas, neuropathy, weak, diarrhea, vomiting. She's losing weight. Yet, she forges ahead believing she will beat the beast.

Thankfully, the last two cat scans showed that the tumors are contained and there has been no progression of disease. The chemo is working, and the fight continues as we hold our breath until her next scan.

I will walk with my family in solidarity as we raise awareness for this disease that needs so much attention. We were told early on after the cancer came back that there is no cure for metastatic pancreatic cancer and that chemo will only help to extend life. I can't accept that. I will walk as many walks as it takes and raise as much awareness as I can until a cure is found. My angel mother and all those who suffer from this horrific disease deserve nothing less. Please consider joining us in our walk, or making a donation.

PurpleStride participants raise money to fund vital research that can bring new treatment options to patients; free, personalized, one-to-one support through PanCAN Patient Services; and more.

Here’s where you come in! 

We’ve set an ambitious fundraising goal – because the more money we raise, the bigger impact we make – and would be profoundly grateful for your donation. A gift of any size will help patients and families facing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.  

Want to help in a bigger way? We’d love for you to join our team! Just click the Register button at the top of this page to get started. Register for free, raise $50 and you’ll receive an official PanCAN PurpleStride 2024 T-shirt!

Let’s show everyone impacted by pancreatic cancer that we’re fighting for them – thank you for your support!