Dear Team Heather and Supporters,
We’re standing at a critical crossroads with Petition e-5186. Your incredible support has brought us to 829 signatures, each one a powerful call for action and a demand for fair access to clinical trials for pancreatic cancer patients across Canada. But here’s the tough reality: despite our best efforts, Mark Holland has not yet responded or authorized our petition to be presented in the House of Commons. With just two days left, we’re up against the clock. If he doesn’t step up, we’ll need to find another MP willing to take on this fight—a delay we can’t afford.
Let’s be honest—pancreatic cancer doesn’t give you the luxury of time. This disease has one of the lowest survival rates of any cancer, stuck at around 10% for years. We’re not asking for the impossible here; we’re asking for a fair shot, for equal access to the clinical trials that could make all the difference. Right now, those opportunities are restricted to only four provinces: Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Alberta. That means if you live in smaller provinces like Newfoundland and Labrador or Prince Edward Island, you’re effectively shut out from the possibility of cutting-edge treatments. It’s not just a gap in the system—it’s a failure that affects real people, real families, and real lives.
We know this fight well. Heather’s journey showed us firsthand the painful inequities in our healthcare system. We had to look beyond provincial borders, seek second opinions, and navigate a fractured system that too often leaves patients behind. This petition is about making sure no one else has to go through that. It’s about setting national guidelines that guarantee every Canadian, no matter their postal code, can access the same opportunities for clinical trials and innovative treatments. Because pancreatic cancer doesn’t discriminate, and our healthcare system shouldn’t either.
This isn’t just another piece of paper with signatures—it’s a collective plea for change. It’s hundreds of voices coming together to say, “We deserve better.” But right now, we’re up against silence from the very people elected to represent us. Mark Holland hasn’t acted, and time is running out. We’re left asking a tough question: does he really care about the health of Canadians facing this devastating disease, or are we being ignored once again?
What You Can Do
We’re calling on you, our supporters, to take action with us. Here’s what you can do right now to help push this over the line:
1. Contact Mark Holland Directly: We need him to hear from as many people as possible. Call his office, send an email, or reach out on social media. Tell him why this matters and why presenting Petition e-5186 in the House of Commons is crucial. This is our chance to be heard—don’t let it slip by.
2. Share the Petition Widely: We’ve seen the power of your shares already, but we need one last big push. Email it to friends, post it on social media, talk about it with anyone who will listen. Every signature is a step closer to making this a reality for patients across the country.
3. Make Noise on Social Media: Use hashtags like #e5186, #PancreaticCancer, and tag @MarkHollandLib directly. We need to flood his feed and show him that Canadians are watching. This isn’t about political games—it’s about lives on the line.
The next 48 hours are crucial. If we don’t get the response we need from Mark Holland, we’ll have to find another Member of Parliament willing to present our petition. This isn’t just a setback; it’s a missed opportunity to take real, immediate action. And that’s not something we can accept—not when we know what’s at stake. We’ve seen too many families go through this journey, fighting against a disease that doesn’t wait, in a system that often forces them to.
We started this petition because we believe in Heather’s legacy—one of fighting for what’s right and pushing back against the inequities we experienced firsthand. We believe every patient deserves the best chance, no matter where they live in this country. We’re not here to ask nicely anymore; we’re demanding it. We’re demanding fairness, equity, and the chance for every Canadian with pancreatic cancer to access the care they deserve.
To everyone who has supported this petition so far: we can’t thank you enough. Your signatures, your shares, your voices—they’ve brought us this far. But the fight isn’t over yet. We need one last push to make sure our message is heard loud and clear. Let’s keep going. Let’s show that we won’t be ignored, that we’re here for every family facing this brutal diagnosis, and that we’re demanding change now.
Together, we can turn this silence into action. We can make sure that when this story is told, it’s one of a community that refused to back down. It’s one of people who fought for fairness, for equity, and for the chance at a better future for every person facing pancreatic cancer.
Thank you for being with us in this fight. Let’s make these last two days count.
With gratitude and determination,
The Heather Cutler Foundation
