Team Heather Raises 10K for Pancreatic Cancer

After the initial shock of the devastating diagnosis, my sister and I quickly sprung into action to create a game plan for my mother’s treatment. After spending a month drinking myself to sleep and screaming into my pillows, I realized that wasn’t what was going to help my Mom. Surely, there was something more we could be doing to improve our odds, and someone had to care.

One other organization offered support to Pancreatic Cancer patients, but Craig’s Cause had more of a local connection that felt accessible, and the timing was right. To our family and so many other families across Canada and beyond, Craig’s Cause offered a source of comfort, reassurance and support. When my Mom first joined, she always said she was “too emotional to speak.” That was my Mother, though. Emotion, love and compassion were expressed in almost everything she did.

About a month ago, we set-up our fundraising on Raceroster and here on our website, with the initial goal of raising $3000.00. This is our second year attending for the cause, but it’s very different this time. Last year, I want to say we were good. My Mom was in the hospital, but we knew she would be coming back home. It was a bump in the road, not the end of the road.  The feeling was different, but the love was the same. We ended up raising $9,591.11, prior to some matched donations that will trickle in later.

Combined with last years contributions of $2,285 Team Heather has raised a total of $11,876 for Craig’s Cause, pancreatic cancer research and support.

For the funeral, instead of flowers, we asked people to donate to Craig’s Cause instead. My partner and I designed a poster with a QR code outside her visitation area. And my father who runs a Barber Shop out of our house talks about my Mom constantly and really ended up being one of the major reasons the fundraiser was such a success. I was moved to see the amount of love for my Mother at this year's event. I feel like Craigs Cause is reaching not just more families affected by this cancer but also more Canadians who sympathize with the cause. 

Bethany spoke at Kicking PancreAS™ about the significance of Craig’s Cause for our family. Although the the video cut short because I was so emotional, we were thrilled to learn that we had raised nearly $10,000.

Craig’s Cause announced they would award a research grant in Heather’s name, which brought tears to our eyes. Knowing our efforts could positively impact pancreatic cancer patients made us immensely proud. This progress is particularly meaningful given the limited resources available for pancreatic cancer research. Despite the challenges, every dollar raised brings us closer to better treatments and outcomes.

We need more research, we need more advocacy, and we need more solutions—and Craig’s Cause is working towards that. – Bethany

Our family will be forever grateful for the support we received from Craig’s Cause and are committed to continuing this important work. We hope our contributions will inspire others to join the fight against pancreatic cancer and bring hope to those who continue to be affected by this devastating disease. Those going through chemo right now; those newly diagnosed, we want improved outcomes for everyone.

Together, we can make a difference and honour Heather’s legacy. The journey has been emotional and challenging, but the support from our friends and family has completely humbled us. We are determined to keep Heather’s spirit alive through our efforts and to ensure that future patients have better chances and more support.

We are committed to attending future events, engaging more supporters, and spreading the word about the importance of pancreatic cancer research and community awareness. By working together, we can create a lasting impact. The road ahead is long, but with the unwavering support of our community, we are confident that we can make significant strides. Every fundraiser, every awareness campaign, and every shared story brings us one step closer to a brighter future for pancreatic cancer patients.

I’ve thought a lot about how to continue honouring my mother's legacy. This website is part of that as we continue to attend fundraising events. My sister will speak at an upcoming Craig’s Cause event on caregivers. I’m also in the initial stages of crafting a podcast to talk about our experience as a family battling Pancreatic Cancer. What’s clear is that we will forever be affected by this experience, so we will continue to advocate as much as possible in our day-to-day lives for better treatments, increased funding and increased research for Pancreatic Cancer.

If there is one value I have learned from my Mom in the aftermath of her passing, it’s the importance of slowing down and appreciating what we have. I was looking through old videos she had stored on her iPhone. One in particular, we took Hiroshima when she came to visit me in Japan, and she insisted that we sit down for a half hour and enjoy the peace and quiet of the park. Sitting down and just taking in the moment was a challenge for someone like me who’s always on the anxious side or always looking to the future. But not for her. She truly did always live in the moment.