To a newly diagnosed cancer patient, a blanket can feel like a small shield against a world that suddenly feels unpredictable. The gift of a blanket can signal that someone took the time to think of them. A blanket can be the reminder that they are not alone. Since 2022, the Hirshberg Foundation has partnered with Talking Angels, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing compassion and ease to patients facing serious illness. Through their Purple Ribbon Project, Talking Angels donates beautiful keepsake blankets to our foundation, offering a gesture of care to pancreatic cancer patients and the loved ones who support them.

Talking Angels was founded in 2018 by Chandra Heyman, whose experiences with hospice during the final months of her parents’ lives shaped the heart of the organization. Chandra witnessed firsthand how small tokens of kindness, like a handmade blanket, could be deeply meaningful for families navigating illness. Those gestures inspired her to create Talking Angels, a nonprofit committed to easing emotional pain and offering warmth when it’s needed most.

Since then, Talking Angels has expanded its reach across palliative care, hospice programs, skilled nursing facilities, and cancer centers, donating thousands of blankets to patients and families. With over 500 ribbon blankets donated each year, the program continues to grow, bringing hope, comfort, and dignity to people across the country.

Our partnership began in 2022 when we received a call from Chandra, who wanted to donate 20 special-edition Purple Ribbon blankets for pancreatic cancer patients in our community. These blankets were created in honor of an anonymous donor’s wife, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in February 2022. The pancreatic cancer patient found solace in the resources she received from the Hirshberg Foundation after her diagnosis. Wanting to honor her memory, her husband encouraged Chandra to reach out and extend her compassion to other families facing this disease.

Chandra responded by launching the Purple Ribbon Project during Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month to honor the donor’s wife. Her husband wrote, “My beautiful wife battled pancreatic cancer for seventeen months and through it, Talking Angels (through the help of nurse C.M. at Cedars-Sinai) provided her additional love and support.”

Today, Talking Angels donates blankets not only to the Hirshberg Foundation but to Kaiser, City of Hope, Cedars-Sinai, and other cancer treatment centers, giving patients undergoing chemo and other therapies something to help them through treatment.

“The Talking Angels Foundation is honored to partner with the Hirshberg Foundation in expanding support for individuals facing pancreatic cancer. This collaboration strengthens our shared goal of delivering comfort and care to those who need it most. With the generosity of our supporters and the unified commitment of both organizations, we will widen our impact, uplift more families, and help ensure that every patient feels seen, supported, and embraced,” shared Chandra Heyman, Founder of Talking Angels.

Our partnership with Talking Angels allows us to provide a symbol of hope, kindness, and a literal hug to pancreatic cancer patients in need. As Amy Reiss, Director of Patient Programs, wrote, “A simple gesture, like receiving a soft blanket on a difficult day, can mean more than words can express. These Talking Angels blankets offer a reminder that patients are surrounded by a community that truly cares. This partnership allows us to extend not only resources, but compassion, and that can make all the difference for someone in treatment.”

As Lisa Manheim, Executive Director, said, “Collaboration is at the heart of our mission, and partnerships like this uplift our entire community. We are grateful to Talking Angels for their generosity and for joining us in supporting patients and families. When organizations come together with shared purpose, we can provide connection and meaningful care in ways none of us could achieve alone.”

We are deeply grateful to Chandra and the entire Talking Angels community for their generosity and their belief in the power of human connection. This partnership expands our ability to offer practical and emotional support to pancreatic cancer patients and caregivers. By working together, we strengthen our commitment to caring for patients and families, to ensure that there is support every step of the cancer journey.

If you or someone you love is facing pancreatic cancer, we are here for you. Explore patient and caregiver resources or connect with Amy, our Director of Patient Programs today.

As we reflect on 2025, one thing is clear: our community is driving progress on every front. From accelerating research to elevating patient support, your unwavering dedication has made this year truly remarkable. This Momentum highlights how your commitment is creating real change for families facing pancreatic cancer.

Our impact is powered by unity. Patients, families, researchers, and advocates are coming together to drive real change, proving that even the smallest actions can spark a future filled with hope.

On Saturday, November 8, the Hirshberg Foundation, in conjunction with Cancer Support Community South Bay (CSC), hosted A Day of Wellness, for pancreatic cancer patients and their caregivers. The day offered education, connection, and healing, empowering participants to care for both body and mind throughout the cancer journey.

The morning began with two groups, patients and caregivers, meeting separately for intimate and supportive conversations. Guided by facilitators, each group shared experiences, challenges, and coping strategies in a safe and understanding environment.

Amy Brandenberger, a pancreatic cancer patient, wrote, “it took me by surprise how much I got out of being in a room with other survivors as we all shared our stories. I felt a kind of companionship with these people that makes this pancreatic cancer journey feel less lonely.  We are all so vulnerable, this disease strips us of so many things, and being in a room with others in the same situation felt like a nice big group hug.”

Next, attendees came together for an engaging and informative Q&A with UCLA’s Sidharth R. Anand, MD, MB, of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, and Jessica Kaltman, MD, MSHS of Palliative Medicine. Both physicians spoke candidly with participants to address a wide range of questions on chemotherapy, emerging treatments, early detection, and genetic testing. Their thoughtful discussion created a unique space for open dialogue between patients, caregivers, and experts.

Peter Lau, a pancreatic cancer patient, reflected on the experience, “Hearing the different histories and hopeful stories, it was a place where I was able to exhale a relief that I didn’t realize I was carrying. It was nice to be with people face-to-face, bearing both smiles and tears as they spoke of their journeys. I think the best part of the day was realizing how much I don’t know. Although familiar with nutrition, meditation, palliative care, and my own cancer, there was considerable new information that I never thought to ask. It is difficult to truly convey how helpful this seminar was, in so many ways, but I really wish [Hirshberg Foundation] supporters could understand how you are taking the time to give us incredibly helpful tools. I walked away thinking that part of my and others’ journeys have really been easier because of the support of the Hirshberg Foundation.”

The afternoon featured a presentation and demonstration by Shelby Yaceczko, DCN, RDN-AP, CNSC, of UCLA Health. A registered dietitian and expert in oncology nutrition, Shelby shared practical tips for managing changes in taste, supporting digestion, and preparing simple, nourishing meals during and after treatment.

To conclude the day, Nancy Lomibao, MS, LMFT, from CSC, led participants in a mindfulness and meditation session focused on relaxation, resilience, and emotional well-being. Her gentle guidance encouraged attendees to find calm and balance amid the challenges of living with or caring for someone with pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Jessica Kaltman shared the importance of the event, “This kind of community-based support is invaluable. Patients and caregivers often face not only medical challenges but emotional and practical ones as well. Creating a space where they can learn, connect, and be heard is an essential part of comprehensive care.”

“Partnerships like the one we have with Cancer Support Community South Bay make a profound difference for our families. When survivors and caregivers come together, they remind each other that no one is alone in this journey. That sense of connection and shared strength is what our mission is all about,” shared Amy Reiss, the Hirshberg Foundation’s Director of Patient Programs.

The Hirshberg Foundation is deeply grateful to our partners at Cancer Support Community South Bay, to our expert speakers, and to the patients and caregivers who joined us. Together, we created a meaningful space for learning, connection, and healing, a reminder that by supporting one another, we can navigate this journey with hope and resilience.

On November 12-15 2025, the American Pancreatic Association (APA) held their 56th annual meeting in San Diego, CA. This gathering brings together almost 500 clinicians and researchers from around the world to share and discuss the latest developments in pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer research. On the eve of the conference, the Friends of the APA Foundation held a reception to celebrate Agi Hirshberg and the 20th anniversary of the Seed Grant Program. The conference opened with the Hirshberg Symposium, proudly hosted by The Hirshberg Foundation, a longtime APA sponsor, and focused on the critical issue of cachexia in pancreatic cancer.

The pancreatic cancer sessions covered a wide range of topics, including early detection and surveillance, diabetes, cachexia, and basic biology. Talks focused on AI in high-risk patient identification, new blood-based tests for early detection, and increased understanding of cellular changes from potentially pre-cancerous cysts to tumors – highlight the research efforts advancing screening in hopes to increase the percentage of patients diagnosed with early stage, resectable disease. 

Since 2009, the APA has presented the Hirshberg Award for Best Abstract in Pancreatic Cancer. This year’s winners were Shangyou Zhen (Title: From Perineural Stroma to Drug Escape: CAFs Rewire Phospholipids and Anchor P-gp to Drive Oxaliplatin Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer) and Zhijun Zhou (Title: Metabolic Reprogramming Promotes Muscle Wasting and Immune Evasion in Pancreatic Cancer). These abstracts demonstrate the importance of understanding the elements of pancreatic tumor microenvironments including cell types present other than the tumor cells in translating biology into potential therapeutics and highlight another key facet of the ongoing achievements in pancreatic cancer research.

A testament to the success of the Hirshberg Seed Grant Program, a number of former and current awardees were speakers at the meeting. Christopher Wolfgang (2006) gave the opening talk at the Hirshberg Symposium on the clinical perspective on cachexia. In the “Pancreas Development and Lineage Plasticity” session Stephen Pandol (2005) spoke about how tumor cells influence insulin producing cells in diabetic pancreatic cancer patients and Kathleen DelGiorno (2018) detailed an early event in cancer development called acinar to ductal metaplasia (ADM) and her lab’s work identification of new cell types and work to understand how they contribute to tumor formation. 

Our newest awardee, Vineet Kumar Gupta (2025), a contributor to the “Young Investigators Abstract Session” explained how inflammatory signaling that occurs with alcoholic pancreatitis results in immune cells infiltrating the pancreas and progression to pancreatic cancer.  Bomi Lee (2023) discussed her work using new single cell techniques to differentiate immune/fibroblast subsets in human pancreatitis. In a session focused on “Training the Next Generation of Pancreatitis Researchers” Jami Saloman (2016) spoke about the challenges and opportunities in mentoring and funding for pancreatitis research. Peter Hegyi (2023) gave two different talks, the first a global perspective on diabetes in pancreatitis from the Hungarian Study Group and the second presentation compared low and high nutrition in the treatment of early pancreatitis. It is an indication of the success of our Seed Grant Program to see past awardees shaping the future of pancreatic cancer research and mentoring the next generation. 

Due to federal funding cuts to research across the nation, programs like ours are more competitive and researchers are in greater need. The Hirshberg Seed Grant and Catalyst Grant programs are more essential than ever to help researchers and clinicians accomplish the groundbreaking work to increase the survival of pancreatic cancer patients and improve their quality of life.

Reagan Ferris was just three years old when she lost her father, Eric, to pancreatic cancer. After a 2-year battle, he passed away at just 41 years old. The Hirshberg Foundation met the Ferris family when Eric was diagnosed and provided treatment, and then grief, resources for the family. Reagan has grown up celebrating the holidays and milestones with her amazing mom, Jennifer and her two older brothers, Jackson and Carter. Inevitably, these are the moments when she thinks about and misses her dad.

Service to others has always been a cornerstone for the Ferris family. In 2020, Reagan decided that Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month was the perfect time to do something on her own to help others. She created a fundraiser with See’s Candies in honor of her dad, benefiting the Hirshberg Foundation. Now a junior at the University of Notre Dame, she has created a yearly tradition that raises awareness, honors her dad, and continues her family’s dedication to giving back.

Reagan writes, “the Hirshberg Foundation and staff at UCLA were instrumental in helping my dad get the best care possible. Our family is forever grateful to everyone who helped my dad (healthcare workers, family, friends, colleagues, and even kind strangers) and those who continue to support our family and his memory.”

She added, “I am blessed to do something special to honor my dad and all those who fight for and support this important cause. I hope to continue this tradition and to inspire others to find ways to give help where needed.” To date, she has raised over $10,300 and Reagan hopes to keep the tradition going.

As you prepare for the holidays, make them even sweeter with a gift that gives back – consider supporting Reagan and her See’s Candies fundraiser.

Reagan’s Fundraiser →

Donate to Reagan’s Fund →