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Pancreatic Cancer Killed My Mom, And I Need Your Help To Stop It

healywu:

katespencer:

This is an email I just sent to friends and family. Please read, and please call. And please, please reblog (PLEASE) and help me spread the word. It would mean a lot to me.

This past June 14th marks 4 years since my mother Martha was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. June 17th would have been my parents’ 38th year wedding anniversary. Though life has continued to move forward since her passing there is not a day that goes by where I don’t miss her lovely presence - her laughter, wise advice and warmth - and wish that she would be here to meet her first grandchild this winter (in case you don’t know, I am pregnant and due December 1st).

Tomorrow, Tuesday June 22, is the fourth annual Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (pancan.org) National Call-In, in which participants take just a few minutes out of their day to call their senators and representative in Congress. It is not only a movement to raise general awareness about a deadly cancer that gets little funding support (less than 2% of the National Cancer Institute’s budget goes to pancreatic cancer research), but a time to urge politicians to support the Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act.

The link below has all the information you need on your congressmen/women’s phone numbers, as well as a script detailing what to say. I have made these calls every year and they are easy and quick. Last year less than 3000 people nationwide participated - with your help it could be so much more…especially when over 30,000 people a year are diagnosed with this disease (and around the same amount die from it each year).

http://www.pancan.org/section_get_involved/advocate/advocacy_day_2010/email_call-in_tomorrow.html

My mom would probably want me to add that there’s no pressure to make a phone call or two, but I would certainly appreciate it if you did - not just in her honor, but for all the people who have to face this disease every year. Finally, I ask that you forward this email to anyone and everyone you know - whether they knew my mom or not. The more people who pick up the phone, the less who have to suffer at the hands of this miserable disease.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Warmly,
Kate

Please read, reblog and call your representatives.