Our team is raising money in support of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network by participating in PurpleStride LA 2025. 

Our team is mostly made up of health care professionals fighting pancreatic cancer, and so we are used to constant, almost daily reminders of this awful disease. But this year we are also faced with the loss of one of our own family. Joyette Jagolino was a dear friend of ours, and a juggernaut of nursing care at Cedars. She held numerous leadership roles in the hospital, in the Kidney Transplant Program, and in the Comprehensive Transplant Center. She was a constant supporter of our Purple Stride efforts for years. And then out of nowhere was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and did everything right, including neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery and clinical trials. Despite this, she died a few short weeks ago and left our entire team feeling what thousand of Purple Stride walkers realize every day. That this disease is cruel and unfair and undiscriminating.

But we are back again because there is nothing to do but to keep fighting. We chose the name "The Whipplers" for this team because the "Whipple" is the most common surgical procedure performed for pancreatic cancer. Our team is made up of nurses, doctors, technicians, allied health professionals, patients, caregivers, friends and families...basically anyone connected to the cause of fighting pancreatic cancer. Our team is mostly from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but anyone is welcome to join. 

We are proud to have representatives on this team from all walks of care of Cedars - from the Cancer Center, Radiology, GI lab, Nursing units, the Operating room, Anesthesiology, Pharmacy, Surgical Oncology, HepatoPancreatoBiliary Surgery, Comprehensive Transplant Center, and hopefully more to follow. We have residents, fellows, medical students, nursing students, undergraduates, high school students, and even younger than that. 

On the day of the event we will all get together and spend a few hours remembering Joyette and all those we lost, celebrating those still fighting, hugging and taking a few pictures, and maybe even actually doing the walk. It's a rare time for us to let our guard down and wear something fun and frivolous. 

Hmmm, you may ask..."What should I wear this year."

Well, come and find out.  

Please help support the team. 

Please help support the cause. 

Join the team. 

Or Donate to someone on the team. 

Or Both.

Thank you. 

Nick Nissen, MD

Surgery