Marnie
My Story is about Marc Puritz (father) and Russell Reed (husband)
This event took place from 06/17/2008 to 08/14/2028
The Discovery
My healthy and active father was 63 when a severe stomach ache sent him to the emergency room on Father’s Day in 2008. The hospital sent him home to die, and he did just over a month later. Caring for him and recovering from that loss led me to PanCan. My family and I stayed involved for nearly a decade, then gradually stepped back and went on with our lives.
In May of 2024 my 63-year-old husband couldn’t get comfortable lying on his right side, which prompted a visit to his doctor. An ultrasound revealed pancreatic cancer, this time stage 2. To say I sprang into action would be an understatement. His treatment included neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and adjuvant chemo that finished this past August. He even walked in PurpleStride in April, just weeks after his procedure. Caring for him and, more importantly, advocating for him has changed our lives entirely. I am now searching nationwide for a clinical trial, and we are determined that he will beat the odds.
Caregiving and advocacy will always be part of my future. I am amazed at how far progress has come, yet there is still a staggering amount of work to be done for everyone affected by this disease.
This is My Story
A few weeks ago we had a celebration of life for Russ, but really it was about everyone who stood with us through this fight. We called it “No One Invited Cancer”. He rang the bell when treatment ended, and I bought him a small one to ring at the pyramids in Egypt this Sunday. It’s a simple reminder that every bit of progress deserves to be marked, even halfway around the world, where we decided to go when this part of the journey was over. Here we are. Two days to go!
The Impact of Time
Time feels completely different to me now. When my father was diagnosed in 2008, there was no time. His symptoms appeared suddenly, and within weeks he was gone. We had no chance to fight, no chance to plan, and no chance to hope. That loss taught me how cruel pancreatic cancer can be when time is not on your side.
Sixteen years later my husband’s story began in a very different way. His pain was mild, just a nagging discomfort when he tried to sleep. That single symptom led to an early diagnosis at stage 2, which changed everything. Early detection gave us time to act. It gave us options. It gave us hope.
Now every minute feels like a gift I don’t take for granted. Time has become both a privilege and a mission. It’s what drives me to keep advocating, to stay informed, and to someday help others catch this disease before it steals their chance. The gift of time means more days together, more travel, and more ordinary things we might not have had. And in the world of pancreatic cancer, that’s everything.
