Hello everyone, 👋 I’m Christopher, Heather’s son and the founder of the Heather Cutler Foundation. I want to say thank you to the over 500 of you who have taken the time to sign the petition. Your support means more than I can express.
When my mom, Heather, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, we trusted the system. At first, it seemed like things were going well—her chemotherapy was working, and we had reason to be hopeful. But soon, we hit roadblocks.
Access to somatic testing was delayed because her oncologist, based on experience, felt too few patients saw actionable results to justify it.
So, it was up to us—sorting through options on our own, staying up late to organize possibilities into Airtable, and applying for trials ourselves. We fought hard to stay ahead, asking for treatments that should have been standard.
During this time, we sought second opinions. Twice, a specialist in Toronto “reassured” my mom that she had already surpassed expectations by making it this far and advised her to make peace with things.
I’ll never forget when she broke down on the phone, telling the doctor,
“I’m not stupid. I know it’s in my omentum.”
She wasn’t ready to go, and we weren’t ready to back down. We believed in the possibility of more options, and we kept pushing forward.
Towards the end, through family connections, we made it to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, where we found a glimmer of hope. There were clinical trials targeting her specific mutation, and for a moment, it felt like we were on the right path.
But by then, the cancer had progressed too far. Things went downhill quickly after that. Five months after her passing, I can’t help but wonder: what if we had made it to Baltimore sooner?
There were so many missed opportunities along the way. My sister and I asked her oncologist to start her on pancreatic enzymes—something simple that studies show improves survival—but were never proactively offered. A nerve block could have eased her dependency on opioids, but by the time it was suggested, the tumour had grown too large, making the procedure impossible.
We spent months navigating a healthcare system that should have been there to guide us. Instead, we were often delayed, dismissed, and left fighting for every bit of care she deserved. We learned to never make assumptions or trust in the system.
This is why the petition matters.
No family should have to take on the role of oncologist just to access care. We need national guidelines to ensure that patients receive the testing, trials, and treatments they need—regardless of where they live.
It’s not enough to have trials available only in major cities; we need remote access solutions to make these trials available across the country. Programs like CRAFT and Health Canada’s Clinical Trial Modernization offer hope, but they need meaningful investment to truly make a difference.
And patients can’t wait—we need solutions now.
Over 500 people have signed the petition, but weneed more voices. We can’t change what happened to my mom, but together, we can build a better system—one where no patient is left behind.
It’s such a simple process: Provide every patient with uniform guidelines on the latest best practices.
If my mom’s story resonates with you, please add your name and help us make sure no one else has to go through what we did.
Sign the petition—Every signature brings us closer to real change. For more on my mother’s story and our advocacy work, please read our Intro to Advocacy series.
For anyone else out there going through this with a family member, know that we’re always here for you.
Christopher can be reached through email at [email protected]
