Spending several years in Vancouver’s Chinatown, just a block from East Hastings, I got a front-row seat to the raw realities of addiction—the loss, the human cost. I’d spent a decade in Asia before this, living and working across multiple countries, but nothing prepared me for the jarring experience of stepping onto Hastings Street. I felt more like a foreigner there than I ever did in Japan.
Over time, the hardest truth settles in: we adapt, we get numb. Even the most gut-wrenching scenes start to fade, the loud cries blend into the noise of the city. Maybe it’s ignorance, maybe it’s survival—it’s how we cope with the constant flood of things that demand our attention. But it’s a dangerous defence mechanism, one that we, as advocacy groups and cancer organizations, can’t afford to ignore. Canada in many ways has let addiction slip into the background; we can’t allow the same to persist with pancreatic cancer.
Let’s be blunt: we live in a world where everyone’s swiping, tapping, and skimming. Attention spans are at an all-time low. If something doesn’t grab you in the first three seconds, it’s lost in the scroll. Pancreatic cancer often gets overlooked because it feels like a distant problem—until it hits home. It’s our job to make sure it doesn’t fade into the noise, that it captures attention. But just raising awareness isn’t enough.
This week you might have saw the news article about Heather Cutler Foundation where one of the things I talk about is the challenge of getting people to really care about pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic Cancer is a Real Problem, Whether You’re Ready to Hear It or Not
Look, there are endless causes vying for our attention. But pancreatic cancer? It’s the quiet killer nobody sees coming, and by it presents itself, it’s already too late to do anything. It’s not the kind of cancer with a pretty pink ribbon and millions of dollars in funding. People don’t want to hear about it because it’s bleak, it’s brutal, and if we’re being completely real, it’s terrifying. But that’s exactly why we have to make people care. And that‘s the real challenge.
Why People Scroll Past Pancreatic Cancer—And Why We Need Them to Stop
The deal is, if you haven’t had your life ripped apart by it, pancreatic cancer just isn’t on your radar. It wasn’t on mine. But once it hits someone you love, it becomes your whole world. If we all go on just caring about ourselves, not making personal connections and sharing our experiences, then we don’t grow and pancreatic cancer doesn’t get the attention it so desperately needs right now.
Sam Mcneish
When I tell you I hadn’t even heard of purple lights until my Mom’s diagnosis—this is always going to represent a challenge to efforts.
You don’t realize the system is broken until you’re in the middle of it—until you’re navigating red tape , waiting weeks for testing, running around in circles, hearing doctors tell you, “Sorry, there’s nothing else we can do.” And yet, because it’s “rare and complex“, there’s no rush to make real change. We’re trying to change that—and we need people to wake up and join us.
People Want Real, Not Perfect—So Here’s Real
One thing we’re learning in this fight is that the fake LinkedIn-style branding just doesn’t cut it. People are craving something genuine. They want to see stories that make them feel, not just statistics. They want to know that real lives are on the line here, that real families are out here fighting for time they may not have. So that’s what we’re doing—bringing the messy, raw truth of pancreatic cancer to the front of the conversation.
We’re Not Here for Performative Awareness
The Heather Cutler Foundation isn’t in this to be “inspirational” or “heartwarming.” We’re here because lives depend on it. Heather’s story is not unique.
I just “cared“ enough to talk about it. She wasn’t just a statistic. She was a nurse, a mother, a wife. She was someone who spent her life taking care of others, and when it came time for her to get care, she had to jump through hoops just to get access to things that should be standard. We had to fight every step of the way, learning firsthand just how brutal this disease—and the system around it—can be.
Connecting on a Human Level: How We’re Cutting Through the Noise
So, how do we break through the noise? How do we make people pay attention to a disease that feels invisible until it’s too late? Here’s what we’re doing, and we’re not sugarcoating any of it:
1. Get Personal, Get Real
People connect with people, not brands or carefully crafted campaigns. We’re telling Heather’s story, in all its pain and hope. We’re sharing our family’s experience so others can see this isn’t just a statistic. And the intention is not to sugarcoat anything, because you can’t be responsible for being misleading, you can’t be responsible for sweeping things under the rug to save reputations as a courtesy for others.
It’s someone’s mom, someone’s partner, someone who should have had more time. That’s what we’re fighting for—time. And we need to make people feel that.
2. Quit Playing It Safe
We’re not here to be safe or diplomatic. Pancreatic cancer isn’t polite, and neither are we. It’s going to take honesty that might make people uncomfortable.
This is about getting people to understand that this disease doesn’t care if you’re ready for it or not. It doesn’t give second chances. So, neither are we. We’re laying it out bluntly because that’s what it takes to break through.
3. Empathy, Not Pity
Pancreatic Cancer Canada is right on the ball with “we‘ve raised enough sympathy.” We don’t need pity, and we’re not here for sympathy points. We need empathy—real, human empathy that makes people realize they could be in the same situation tomorrow. That realization, that gut-level understanding, is what drives action. And action is what’s going to drive change. When you can help people see themselves in your story, that’s when they start to care.
4. Make It Easy to Help
People don’t act because they don’t know how or they think it won’t matter. We’re making it simple—sign a petition, share a post, support the foundation. People need to know their actions, however small, do make a difference. They need to feel like they’re part of something that’s moving toward change.
5. Break the Cycle of Silence
The more we talk about it, the less it hides. We’re not letting this disease remain something people don’t talk about until it’s too late. If we want people to care, we have to be persistent. Relentless, about getting the word out, about demanding better, about refusing to let pancreatic cancer spend any longer living as a silent killer.
We’re Not Here to Make Friends, We’re Here to Make Allies
The Heather Cutler Foundation is unapologetic about our mission. We’re not in this to play nice or to tiptoe around the hard truths. Heather’s legacy and the legacy of all those lost to pancreatic cancer deserves more than that. The families suffering through this deserve more than that.
So if you’re looking for a cause to back, if you’re ready to make a difference in a world that needs it, join us. We’re not here for clicks or performative posts. We’re here to make people care enough to demand change. And we’re not stopping until we see it.
Question and Answers
Why is it so difficult to get people to care about pancreatic cancer?
We live in an age of constant digital noise, where attention spans are shorter than ever, and most people scroll through content so quickly that they don’t even see half of what’s on their screen. For many, pancreatic cancer feels like a distant concern; they may know about it but won’t actively think about it unless it affects them personally.
Unlike more prominent health causes, pancreatic cancer doesn’t receive extensive media coverage or have an awareness month that everyone immediately recognizes. The Heather Cutler Foundation is working to change this perception by sharing genuine, impactful stories that show the urgency and real human toll of the disease. By connecting with people on an emotional level, the foundation aims to make pancreatic cancer an issue that everyone recognizes and cares about.
What makes pancreatic cancer awareness different from other causes?
Pancreatic cancer has a reputation as a “silent killer” because it’s often diagnosed too late for effective intervention. Symptoms are usually vague and can be misinterpreted as common issues until the disease is advanced, leading to one of the lowest survival rates among major cancers.
Pancreatic cancer awareness doesn’t benefit from the same level of funding or visibility as other cancers, like breast cancer, and this lack of awareness can directly affect patient outcomes.
Unlike causes with “feel-good” campaigns, pancreatic cancer advocacy requires people to confront uncomfortable truths. The Heather Cutler Foundation is determined to bring the reality of pancreatic cancer to light, sharing raw and sometimes painful stories to highlight why awareness and funding are urgently needed to give patients a fighting chance.
How does telling real stories help in raising awareness about pancreatic cancer?
Real stories are a powerful tool in raising awareness because they offer something data alone cannot: emotional impact.
Statistics may reveal the severity of pancreatic cancer, but they often fail to create personal connections. By sharing Heather’s story and those of other families affected, the foundation brings the disease into focus as a deeply human issue. When people see a real person—a mother, partner, or friend—they understand the profound impact this disease has on lives.
These stories help people empathize and see pancreatic cancer not as an abstract statistic, but as a personal tragedy that could touch anyone. This emotional connection drives support for increased funding, improved care, and a stronger push for awareness.
Why does The Heather Cutler Foundation focus on “empathy, not pity”?
Pity can sometimes make people feel sorry without encouraging them to act, whereas empathy fosters a deeper connection that can lead to real change.
The foundation seeks to create this empathy by showing that pancreatic cancer could happen to anyone’s loved one. Empathy drives people to ask, “What if that were my mom, my partner, or me?” This realization makes people more likely to support the cause actively, whether through sharing information, supporting policies, or advocating for patient-centered care.
By cultivating empathy, the foundation hopes to rally genuine supporters who will push for the systemic improvements needed to change the landscape for pancreatic cancer patients.
What role does honesty play in The Heather Cutler Foundation’s approach to advocacy?
Honesty is at the heart of the foundation’s approach to advocacy because pancreatic cancer doesn’t offer room for sugarcoating. This disease is brutal and relentless, and its impact is life-altering. Rather than presenting a softened version of the disease, the foundation chooses to share the unfiltered truth about what patients and families endure. This raw honesty can be uncomfortable, but it’s essential for making people realize the severity of the issue.
By telling Heather’s story openly, including the frustrations and battles within the healthcare system, the foundation hopes to communicate the urgency for change and inspire people to stand up for improvements in care, research, and support.
What does “breaking the cycle of silence” mean for pancreatic cancer advocacy?
Pancreatic cancer has long lived in the shadows, discussed only when it’s too late. This silence has contributed to the lack of public awareness, funding, and research dedicated to combating the disease.
Breaking the cycle of silence means actively discussing pancreatic cancer, sharing patient stories, and bringing attention to the gaps in the healthcare system that make the journey so difficult. By openly discussing the challenges of pancreatic cancer, the Heather Cutler Foundation aims to create a world where this disease is no longer invisible.
The more people talk about it, the harder it becomes to ignore, leading to greater support, better funding, and hopefully, improved outcomes for patients.
