Thank you for your messages of support.

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Today is #ThankYouThursday and there are many things that I’m thankful for. This year we had a record-breaking Giving Tuesday campaign with our partners at Kernls, raising over $50,000 for our PASS-01 research project. I’d like to thank everyone in our community who honoured us with a gift and give a very special thank you to pancreatic cancer survivor and PCC Champion Richard Weldon for generously matching donations to a total of $25,000.

I am also thankful for the thoughtful and supportive messages that I have received from many members of our community on the news of my stage II thyroid cancer diagnosis. To me there is no question: I will get through this.

In the last two weeks I have had a second opinion, been on a business trip to New York, decided on a course of treatment, and started preparing for the busy rush the holidays bring. I cannot help but think that if my diagnosis were stage II pancreatic cancer, I would have spent the last two weeks in a panic getting things in order: a second opinion, supportive care, and doing my best to help my loved ones manage their stress over my diagnosis. I would be rushing to start chemotherapy because every minute matters with a highly aggressive cancer like pancreatic. I would not be as I am, planning for surgery and radiation at a convenient time in the coming weeks. What a heartbreaking difference.

I’ll share further updates in the weeks to come about how I was diagnosed and introduce the stage II pancreatic cancer patient who will be my counterpart on this journey. Until then, take care and thank you for your support.