Hi everyone, welcome to my PanCAN PurpleStride personal fundraising page. Thank you for supporting me and my family and, by extension, all those who have been impacted by pancreatic cancer. About 66,440 will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year. Additionally, 51,750 of them will die this year from it. These events naturally alter the lives of an untold number of others. Together we can do something about this. 

My family’s experience with pancreatic cancer came out of nowhere and was mercifully quick. My Dad started feeling more tired than usual at the end of January. By early March his appetite had shrunken considerably, and he started to run a low-grade fever on a daily basis. On March 23, after blood work revealed alarmingly low iron levels, he was admitted to the hospital. By March 31, he was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. My dad was fortunate that the pain normally associated with this cancer didn’t show up until April 23, four days before he died at home, peacefully surrounded by love.

One of the many sad things about his diagnosis is we felt lucky that his decline and passing happened so quickly.

On Saturday April 27, 2024, one year to the day after his passing, I will be taking part in the PanCAN PurpleStride, the walk to end pancreatic cancer. I hope to change this narrative. But to find better treatments and hopefully a cure so that stories like my dad’s are no longer considered “lucky”, I need your help. Any and all donations are welcomed and appreciated. The money will not only fund vital lifesaving research, but also go to offering personalized one-on-one support for patients and their loved ones. You can  also help by joining me and registering for PurpleStride Chicago. 

My Dad had a well-known sign off: Take care of yourself and each other. So let’s take these steps together. Let’s take care of each other and end pancreatic cancer!