In July 2014, a CT scan confirmed a tumor in the tail of Dante’s pancreas measuring about three centimeters. That diagnosis marked the moment our lives quietly changed forever, even before we fully understood what lay ahead.

Small on paper, devastating in reality. By the time it was found, the tumor had already wrapped completely around major blood vessels—arteries that sustain life. Doctors described it as “360-degree encasement.” What that meant is that surgery was no longer an option. The cancer had already positioned itself silently and aggressively.

That is the harsh truth about pancreatic cancer, especially tumors in the tail of the pancreas. There are often no early warning signs. No obvious symptoms. Just vague discomfort that can look like stress or stomach issues. By the time answers come, the disease is frequently advanced. Nothing was missed. Nothing was ignored. This cancer hides until it cannot anymore.

Dante fought for two and a half years with courage, humor, grit, and grace. His fight didn’t begin on the day of diagnosis—it had likely begun long before we had a name for it. And he didn’t lose because he wasn’t strong enough. He faced a disease that moves fast and gives too little time.

This is why I walk.

I walk for awareness. I walk for research. I walk so families have earlier detection, better treatment options, and more hope than we were given.

Team Dante exists because love doesn’t end. Every step, every donation, and every conversation keeps his legacy alive and pushes back against a cancer that takes far too much, far too soon.

This is my why.

This is his legacy.

And this is why PurpleStride matters.

Team Dante. Always.