Dov's 2023 Letter:

In early 2011, at the age of 68, my maternal grandmother, “Saffi,” was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. At the time, it had a grim 5-year survival rate of 6%. After a relentless 5-year battle with the cancer, she passed away in December 2015; I was just eleven years-old at the time. She had meant the world to me. I slept over at her house often and loved her kind soul and smile more than most anything else in the world. Then, a year and a half later, my paternal grandmother, “Grandma Joanie,” died of cancer. Despite our living in different cities, I loved her beyond words, and she was a beautiful light in my early life. I was a twelve year-old boy, shattered, trying to understand loss while picking up the pieces. 

I was young when my grandmothers passed away. As I grow older, my memories of them fade lighter and lighter, but their influence in my life is unchanged. I live on in their legacy. Fundraising is a part of that legacy, and part of the way I keep their memories alive. 

For the past twelve years, my family has been raising money for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. I have spearheaded Team Lala for the past 7 years, and I am proud to fight again for better patient outcomes and more comprehensive research on the cancer killing 50,000 Americans a year and being diagnosed in some 60,000 more. 

This cancer is terrifying, with a 5-year survival rate of just 11%, far and away the lowest rate of the 20 most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States. We NEED to improve patient lives and give hope to patients and their families. Funding for research will improve treatments and get closer to finding a Pancreatic Cancer cure. 

Please click the button above to Donate and improve patient outcomes and find a cure. 

Thank you for giving in honor of Saffi and all those who have lost their lives in the brutal fight against Pancreatic Cancer.