In 2009, Rhonda Williams established the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation following the tragic loss of a family member to pancreatic cancer. This unfortunate event highlighted the insufficient awareness and funding dedicated to pancreatic cancer. Recognizing the pressing need for enhanced support and research for this form of cancer, the foundation aimed to ensure better care and resources for future patients facing pancreatic cancer diagnoses.

They have four main goals:

1. Direct Financial Assistance: They offer up to three months of financial aid to assist families with rent and utilities during their challenging journey with pancreatic cancer.

2. Research for Early Detection and Alternative Modalities: They prioritize funding research initiatives aimed at early detection methods and exploring alternative and integrative approaches to pancreatic cancer treatment.

3. Educational Awareness: Raising awareness about pancreatic cancer is a crucial aspect of their mission. We strive to educate the public about the disease, its risk factors, and the importance of early detection.

4. Patient Advocacy: Their organization actively advocates for the rights and well-being of pancreatic cancer patients, working towards better access to quality care and support services.

Ongoing Projects

Currently, they are working on educating both patients and physicians on the utilization of not only conventional treatments but also alternative options that address the holistic well-being of the mind, body, and soul in the management of pancreatic cancer.

Their primary goal this next year is to raise awareness among those who may be unfamiliar with pancreatic cancer until a diagnosis affects them or their loved ones. They aim to educate not only patients but also physicians about the potential benefits of exploring alternative treatments to extend survival rates. Empowering medical professionals to conduct research on alternative therapies is a crucial aspect of their mission.

To learn more about National Pancreatic cancer Foundation, visit their Member Page

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Gibraltar Charitable Trust was founded in February 2018 with a total focus on raising awareness about pancreatic cancer to the public, general practitioners, and other medical professionals in Gibraltar, as well as, supporting survivors and those fighting the disease.

The organization set out to create an ongoing campaign and projects in raising awareness. In all their campaigns, events, and projects, they always directly involve members of management of the Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA), medical professionals, survivors and their families, and members of other local cancer charities.

The founder of the charity, Louis Baldachino, an 8-year pancreatic cancer survivor, says he is immensely proud of the vital impact the charity has made to the local community and to GHA’s medical professionals. Louis founded the charity shortly after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer while he was still under treatment:

“I was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in July 2015 and I know how lucky I am to still be here and fighting. I wanted and needed to inspire others and one way of doing this was to create a charity. I felt that the only right thing to do was to try and promote awareness to the general public, GPs and medical institutes in Gibraltar, especially as there were and are no other pancreatic cancer charities in Gibraltar.”

Upcoming events for the remainder of the year include:

• Ongoing scheduled discussions with the GHA management team throughout the remaining of 2023, focusing on early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
• As part of their campaign and many other events held during Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in November, the week leading up to WPCD will see a special “Purple Light” event, featuring the iconic castle fortress in the upper Rock of Gibraltar, lit up in purple. The event will be attended by GHA’s management, survivors and their families, and representatives from other charities.
• On WPCD, they will promote a “Purple Day,” encouraging people across the community to wear purple, including shops, large corporate firms, pharmacies, schools, and restaurants.

The Charity is looking forward to working with the WPCC this year and making WPCD 2023 another successful awareness campaign. The Charity says that being a member of the WPCC is important, and it makes them proud to be working together with all the other organizations around the world. It immensely motivates them to continue their campaign in raising awareness about this horrible disease.

To learn more about Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Gibraltar Charitable Trust, visit their member page. 

History

Pants Off Racing (“POR”) was founded in 2012. Our organization had been active for many years before, but we didn’t register as a 501c3 until 2012.

POR was formed because Nancy “Pants” Amato was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the winter of 2006. Upon diagnosis, Nancy Pants had such an overwhelming support system that her children and their friends were inspired to form a community that would provide similar support to others diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. We believe that by providing support for pancreatic cancer victims and their families, we can improve and significantly diminish the harsh realities they face. We saw a gap in the assistance that patients, and their families, receive when they are diagnosed with cancer, with majority of funding going to Pancreatic Cancer research, so POR fills that gap.

Providing compassionate support to pancreatic cancer victims, and families, is how we are going to fight this disease. We have chosen to use all funds received by donors to directly support families, not research, because we believe that our greatest impact will be the interactions we have with those who need it right now.

 

Areas of Focus

POR provides direct emotional and financial assistance to those that request and require it. Typically, we begin with a care package to initiate the relationship and help bring a smile to the cancer patient. As we get to know the individual or family better our support may expand to covering travel expenses, groceries, sending holiday and birthday gifts, and much more allowing the patient to focus on their treatment and recovery.

Our Board of Advisors are also available to share their experiences with the families that are referred to POR. One of our Board members is currently fighting pancreatic cancer. He finds himself talking with most of the patients that reach out to us. His experience has been helpful to others that are navigating their treatment options.

All of our POR members are volunteers that dedicate themselves to creating a personal connection with the families and individuals we support. Our members span national wide, which allows us to locally connect with our families. Local activities focus on spending quality time with our families and can range anywhere from casual meals or meetups to indoor skydiving and Sea World — we try to make it personal to the individual.

Current Projects

Currently we are working on creating an advocate plan for cancer patients. It is our experience that many of the people looking for assistance are acting as their own advocates. With limited energy during treatments, we would like to have a plan that would help someone close to them assist with their journey. We want the advocate to understand what questions to ask the doctors, best practices in navigating the healthcare system and when to reach out to POR when they have a question they can’t get answer to.

POR has also noticed the importance of great palliative care. The patients that we work with are often unfamiliar with the services that are offered. In each conversation we have with patients, we ask if they are participating in a palliative care program. We have a board member that was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer nearly 3 years ago. His hospital system in Seattle provides great palliative care, and he swears by the treatments for his recovery and health. He tells all the patients he speaks with to get out in front of pain management. POR will continue to learn more about palliative care and share this with the cancer patients we assist.

 

Sentry Club

Sentry Club is POR’s community outreach efforts. Most charities and nonprofits focus on research, leaving a significant need for personal assistance. Our goal is to provide families with a network of support, resources, and a strong community outside the everyday hospital and treatment centers. Most families come to us because there are limited to no options to receive direct assistance for their needs.

Here’s a little story about someone we met recently and has become part of the POR community:

Terri Armstrong found POR via the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), and really has no one else to go to. She contacted PanCAN in Manhattan Beach, and they connected her to the best place she could go ASAP – PANTS OFF RACING (“POR”)!

Recently, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 terminal pancreatic cancer. She needed hygiene supplies, and some hope. She requested some basics from POR, to get by. She was worried about the chemo drug she was prescribed. She heard bad things about it, and was worried sick about having a bad reaction to it. Not only did she not have family to fall back on, she was acting as her own advocate. In the process of learning that she had cancer, Terri lost her apartment while she was getting treatment. She was homeless and also had some major issues with her vehicle.

What happens when someone comes to us? We fight for them, and we respond right away.

Terri sent us her POR assistance request form so we knew what she needed from us. Based on her needs we sent her some Walmart gift cards, compression socks, and a super warm blanket for her treatment days. We worked with the Toyota dealership to fix up her car so she had a reliable car to get to her appointments.

One of the most important byproducts of finding a community that could support her was that she regained hope. She needed someone, and POR answered the call. It wasn’t one person, or donation, it was a ladder of people that care — people she will never see, or know about, usually: volunteers, donors, and the people that have gone through what she is going through.

We all serve an important role. Recently, she sent us a letter. She is hopeful, and her outlook is much different than the first time we spoke to her. Terri has found the hope she didn’t have before she reached out to PanCAN or POR. Even if things aren’t looking great for her, she has a community to lean on.

Most recently she met a couple of all-time great POR members. Eric Altman was able to meet with Terri and deliver her some much needed Christmas joy. He even delivered her a fathead cutout of her head that was meant to cheer her up when she had chemo days.

Then, out of the blue, Curt Moothart took the time to meet her after one of her appointments. She doesn’t have any family close by to get her through these days, so this was a special occasion. Having someone to just be there to say they are cheering you on, and knowing you have support, has to feel amazing.

What a cool community this is, and it is stories like these that would make Nancy Pants proud. We’re sure she is smiling down on Terri, and her spirit lives on in acts like these.

 

How can the WPCC support your organization and its goals?

We want to always know what treatments, and potential clinical trials, are being offered to cancer patients. There are a lot of new trials and advances in treating pancreatic cancer, but we don’t know when it is approved for treatment. Patients, and their families, want to know what their doctors aren’t telling them. More information that can help them live longer is always at the top of the list.

What are you most looking forward to accomplishing with WPCC over the next year?

WPCC continues to help connect us to organizations and medical professionals that know a lot more about pancreatic cancer than we do. It is important to stay on top of all the advances that are being made. Being aware of the advances in pancreatic cancer helps us to be a better resource to those that need our help.

To learn more about Pants Off Racing Inc., visit their member page.

Digestive Cancers Europe (DiCE) is a European non-profit umbrella organization of nearly 40 national Member Organizations representing patients with digestive cancer — colorectal, gastric, liver, oesophageal, pancreatic, and rare cancers.

DiCE is committed to advancing diagnosis and medical treatment, advocating high standards in clinical practice, education, and research, and supporting patient care for a better quality of life. DiCE’s vision is to see fewer people in Europe suffering from digestive cancers.

They are determined to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer and gastric cancer, and invite you to be part of their policy event on 15 November 2022 from 15H until 15H CEST at the European Parliament.

Their ambitious agenda to get European policymakers involved in helping more patients will be discussed in the upcoming meeting. With a large community of people from all over Europe, they are sure that they can bring awareness about both cancers.

This meeting will also serve as a timely discussion point regarding the proposed updated Council cancer screening recommendations, including gastric cancer for the first time.

If you would like to receive their monthly newsletter about digestive cancers, be informed about the upcoming meeting in the European Parliament, and have direct contact, please subscribe here.

You can learn more about DiCE by visiting their website.