Thank you for supporting our PanCAN PurpleStride fundraiser!

Our team, Gaga For a Cure, was started in 2023. It was co-captained by my brother, Christian, who was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer in July 2022 at the age of 30, and passed away in February 2024. My brother was an amazing person, who fought hard and so bravely against this terrible disease. We will always be grateful to him for his stoicism, strength, hopefulness, and will to live which gave us more time together. The team, Gaga For a Cure, is named after his all time favorite artist (Lady Gaga) and will continue on in his honor, and in the hope that far less people have to fight this same battle in the future. We love and miss him everyday.

This is a message he shared with his friends about PurpleStride in 2023 and what it means to him:  

"Hello! Thanks for all the positive messages, gifts, and prayers I’ve been receiving since my last update, it’s been so nice to hear from you all. Whenever I’ve felt down, these kind gestures have helped me feel motivated again and it’s made a world of difference since starting treatment. I appreciate it so much.  

Just wanted to provide an update for anyone interested. I’ll be attending the PurpleStride walk organized by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in NYC on Saturday, April 29. When I was first diagnosed, this organization helped in so many ways - information about the disease, available treatments, lists of specialized doctors and hospitals, referrals for genetic counseling and to mental health practitioners, and the list goes on. 

If you’d like to come, just click on the link at the bottom and complete the registration. And then if you have any questions, just send me a message and I’d be happy to help. The link also provides the opportunity to simply donate as well if walking or NYC is not your thing This organization helped me and helps a lot other people make sense of the disease. Having a roadmap and someone to help you navigate through it is so important so if you have the means to donate, I know it would be going to an amazing cause. No matter what you can/not do, like I’ve said the kind gestures have been more than enough for me."

To make the biggest impact on the lives of pancreatic cancer patients, we need your help:

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 and need your donations! A gift of any size will help patients and families facing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

Want to help in a bigger way? Join us by registering for PurpleStride! 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. We are grateful for your support!