Welcome to Our ShayStrong PanCAN PurpleStride Team Fundraising Page!

Hey, there!

In spring 2021, my family was hit with the awful "C" word. The worst punch, was the "P" word that came before it. When my dad told my siblings and I that he had pancreatic cancer, I knew that was not good. I have heard about pancreatic (the bad kind of cancer) from movie stars and celebrities that died from it. 

Right from the start, my dad had the mind over matter attitude. He was ready to fight. Ready to do what needed to be done to stay with us as long as he could and maybe make a difference. 

He went through the uncomfortable biopsies, the port placement and all of the bloodwork. He went through the chemo, oh, so much chemo. Then changed chemo.... a few times. Every scan was scary and brought hope but fear as well. We relished in the hope. We cried in the fear. 

We were cherishing every moment. Learning what really matters in life. I would find myself staring at him, taking in his wrinkles, his smile, his hairline and what his hands looked like. I knew there would be a day that I would need these memories.  Christmas 2022 came, and we were thanking GOD that we still had him with us. The chemo wasn't working as well at this point and the talk of trials began. 

The trips to Bethesda, NIH started in late March 2023. EVERY SINGLE WEEK. He was so strong. He his so much from us. We could see him getting weaker, his jaw getting tighter, and we had to be more careful when we hugged him. 

He tried so hard to make a difference with the new drug they were trying. He was one of the first to try a double dose every week. Unfortunately it was unsuccessful. 

In mid June 2023, things started to downhill quickly. He started mumbling, and his frustration from the pain started showing. He was getting tired of fighting and his body was tired of holding on. In the last week of June, my siblings and step-mom all stopped our lives to give Dad his wishes and be all together by his side. He was never alone in his final week. His body was shutting down but that man's heart was so strong. We had two family friend nurses working with us to make him as comfortable as he could be. They told us, his breath is getting more shallow, it could be anytime. That heart of his kept beating and kept him with us for a week. I think he really just wanted us all to live together under one roof to get through some of our differences and just be together for a few days. It was a week I will never forget, that ended July 1, 2023. It was the most difficult thing I have ever witnessed in my life. Watching a loved one, go through the unthinkable. 

That is where I thank PANCAN! Right away we researched and researched and PanCan was there from the beginning. Offering the smallest bit of information to emotional support, to getting the word out to others how important early detection is! 

My team and I are taking steps to end pancreatic cancer at PanCAN PurpleStride on Saturday, April 29, 2023.

We want to make the biggest impact on the lives of pancreatic cancer patients – and we need your help to do that!

PanCAN PurpleStride is the number one way PanCAN raises money to fund vital research that can bring new treatment options to patients, and gives them free, personalized one-to-one support through PanCAN Patient Services.

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 appreciate a gift of any size to help us get there.  

PanCAN PurpleStride is for everyone, and we’d love for you to join our team! Just click the Register button at the top of this page and follow a few easy steps to get set up. And anyone who registers and raises $50 will receive an official PanCAN PurpleStride 2023 T-shirt!

Can we count on you to get us one step closer to the day where pancreatic cancer patients don’t just survive but thrive?

Patients and families need us now more than ever.

Thank you for your support!