By: NaTasha Wansley

Pancreatic Awareness Month means everything to me. I have a different perspective on life. God has given me another chance to care for others as I was doing prior to being diagnosed.

I encourage each and every one to go to their routine MD visits. I thank God that I did. I was diagnosed with SLE Lupus in 2013. I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July 2014 and the tumor was removed from my pancreas in December 2014. I was in and out of the hospital for 6 months with several pancreatic stents, chest tube, drainage tube, blood transfusions, blood clot in my abdomen and neck, and I currently have a pancreatic pseudocyst. Even 6 years after diagnosis, I have CT scans routinely. Still, I thank God, because I almost lost my life and he gave me another chance at living and being able to care for others.

Stories from survivors, families & friends touched by pancreatic cancer show the resilience and courage of the human spirit. We dedicate our time and effort each day to fight for a cancer-free future. Every story and every journey helps pave the way to that cure. Share your story, make a dedication and help raise awareness today.

By: James Kirkpatrick

My name is James, I live in Los Angeles and my affiliation with the Hirshberg Foundation goes back 10 years now. In 2010, my son Christopher and a few friends participated in our first LA Cancer Challenge 5k Run. The LACC would become a run my mother would ask us to participate in every year, not knowing that later in life, I would be honoring my best friend and mother Dorothy who passed from pancreatic cancer in 2017.

My mother kept her diagnosis of having cancer to herself for years, not letting family nor friends know of her health condition and battle. She would complain about lower back aches and her appetite for food changed rapidly one year before her death. For 6 years my mother was also my grandmother’s caretaker which put a strain on my mothers’ health too. My grandmother Viola passed at the age of 100 in 2016. My mother’s health changed rapidly during this time. It was the fall of 2016 and she was visiting my sister in Atlanta, GA when she suffered a heart attack. Doctors ran many tests and discovered that her liver was not strong and found signs of cancer. With more tests, the doctor’s diagnosis was that her pancreas had all the signs of cancer. She was at stage 4. My mother was so ill she wasn’t able to return home to California. January 1, 2017 my mother lost her battle to pancreatic cancer. Christmas and the holidays have become very hard for me since.

After the loss of my mother I became more aware of the high risks African Americans face and how important it is to seek help. High blood pressure is prevalent in my family history. As well as different forms of cancer. I feel a need to express to people of color how pancreatic cancer can go undiagnosed if certain health issues are not presented to physicians. My mother decided to keep silent, and because of that it’s truly been a loss and a deep hole missing from my heart. Her cancer could have been prevented.

I also feel it’s going to take people like myself to continue to tell my story of my loss and NEVER GIVE UP the fight. I’ve shed a light on this disease with many friends and family, sharing what the Hirshberg Foundation Pancreatic Research is doing to crush this cancer out. I hope to see more outreach in the urban community as I continue to raise awareness amongst my running community. For 3 years now I’ve brought my running family, Movement Runners, to run the LACC 5K and walk/run for a cure.

When someone you love is dealing with cancer you learn more about yourself. What you’re made of and the strength you have to live for them as well as yourself. You learn what’s important and not to waste time. You find your voice to inspire, motivate and never give up.

Stories from survivors, families & friends touched by pancreatic cancer show the resilience and courage of the human spirit. We dedicate our time and effort each day to fight for a cancer-free future. Every story and every journey helps pave the way to that cure. Share your story, make a dedication and help raise awareness today.

Friends Alli, age 11, and Avery, age 12, started A2A Designs during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to give back to their community. They began creating mask chains for friends and family as a fun and stylish way to keep their masks handy while running errands and walking the dog. With an emphasis on supporting essential workers, each month they chose a different non-profit organization and donate a portion of their sales. For November, A2A Designs has partnered with the Hirshberg Foundation to help raise pancreatic cancer awareness with a collection of special purple mask chains.

We are excited to partner with these young entrepreneurs to help raise pancreatic cancer awareness in style! As November community partner for A2A Designs, Alli & Avery will be donating half of their monthly profits to the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. In addition, they have specially designed two purple chains, the Never Give Up and Purple Power, that will continue to give back towards research & patient support services.

Order your mask chains online »

We are excited to have Alli & Avery join us at our Flower Truck Pop Up for World Pancreatic Cancer Day on November 19th. Plus, each mask chain purchased that day will come with a free Never Give Up mask. Learn more and add it to your calendar »

Give friends and family a fun night in, alleviate that cooped up feeling and serve a greater purpose – raising awareness for pancreatic cancer. All of these goals can be accomplished by hosting a virtual fundraising event online and we guarantee it will be an exciting and fulfilling experience. The big difference between an in-person event and a virtual event is moving everything to a video conferencing platform and selecting an activity everyone can participate in – we’ve plenty of ideas and resources for you!

5 Steps to Get Started

1. Choose a Virtual Event Idea
2. Ask a Friend to Help Plan & Co-host
3. Create a Fundraising Page
4. Choose a Video Conferencing Platform
5. Follow our Virtual Event Checklist

Step 1: Choose a Virtual Event Idea You’ll Enjoy

Make your virtual event interesting and memorable with a few fresh ideas. Here are some suggestions to get your imagination going! Give your event some purple pizazz when you order a Purple Spirit Box and send them to attendees to share amongst their households.

Example: A Virtual Scavenger Hunt is a game anyone can participate in right from home. Each household team can scour their home and the web for funny items or mysterious clues. Split your event attendees into teams and turn the hunt into a race, or you can award points based on the originality and absurdity of the answers. Prompts or theme ideas: Family photo gone wrong, terrible present, elaborate decoration, getting a stocking full of coal, pet dressed up in Christmas clothes, Drunken Santa and more!

Step 2: Ask a Friend to Help Plan & Co-Host

This is an optional step, but really, everything is more fun when you do it with friends. Brainstorm ideas, divide up tasks and spread the word together. And if you want to go it alone, that’s fine too!

Step 3: Create a Fundraising Page

A fun event idea combined with a cause you care about will inspire people to not only attend your virtual event but also make a donation. Your online gathering will serve a greater purpose – raising awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer research and patients services. So, don’t hold back, present a strong call to action to drive donations and attendance.

Fundraising is key but it can be kept simple. Two easy ways to collect donations are:

Step 4: Select a Video Conferencing Platform

Video conferencing tools have become a popular way for people to communicate with family, friends, and the organizations they care about. Around the world, people are getting creative in how they are using livestreaming thanks to inexpensive technology. New to hosting online events? Check out this collection of resources.

• Zoom – Allows free video meetings for three or more people for up to 40 minutes with their free plan. The next tier lets you set up video calls for up to 100 participants long.
• Skype – Up to 10 people can join a Skype group video call. Skype is free to download and works on phones, tablets and computers with webcams.
• Google Hangouts – If you have Gmail, that means you already have a Google account you can use to set up Hangouts for free. Up to 25 people can join a video Hangout and up to 150 people can join a voice-only Hangout.
• Houseparty App – This app was made for up to eight participants can participate on a FaceTime-like call. It also features third-party games that can be played simultaneously throughout the call.
• FaceTime – You can set it up as a Group FaceTime with up to 32 people (requires newer devices and updated iOS).

Step 5: Follow our Virtual Event Planning Tips

This virtual event checklist will help guide you as you dig into the details of your virtual fundraising event. From start-to-finish, we’re helping you set up your fundraising page, select an event idea, plan an event agenda, thank your attendees and more!

*Resources and articles

LA Times: How to have Zoom parties that are actually fun
LA Times: Ultimate guide to hanging out with your friends online
Style Caster: How to Throw an Epic Zoom Party Your Friends Will Never Forget
Team Building Blog: 32 Fun Virtual Holiday Party Ideas in 2020

Jelena Trifunovic and her mom Ljubica Stankovic, were introduced to the Hirshberg Foundation through our Patient & Family Support Services. Since we connected with them, Jelena has become a friend and longtime supporter.

In March 2013, Ljubica Stankovic, better known to friends as Luby, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In April, she underwent a Whipple procedure and it was during her subsequent hospital stay that her daughter, Jelena, contacted us for resources. In February of 2014, Luby & Jelena attended 10th Annual Symposium and we were fortunate to meet them in person.

Through correspondence and checking in on Luby, Jelena shared, “We are very grateful for each day. Within our family, my mom has earned the nickname ‘Jaka Baka,’ which in Serbian means ‘brave grandma.’ We have gained an incredible, invaluable network of friends through the Hirshberg Foundation and Cancer Support Community.” Her mom chimed in, saying, “It’s not easy…but every morning my motto is ‘Life is beautiful!’”

While Luby is no longer with us, Jelena keeps her memory and spirit alive through her designs at Viola Floral. Jelena’s journey to become a florist began with her childhood love for nature. Growing up, she spent countless holidays and family events arranging flowers in the kitchen with her mom. It was there, sipping wine, laughing and sharing stories, that her passion bloomed. Although Jelena’s mom is no longer beside her, their bond and the joy from that kitchen lives on through her floral creations at Viola Floral. For Jelena, Viola Floral pays homage to the women who raise and uplift us, through all walks of life. Like flowers, they continually remind us to live in full bloom.

Viola Floral is doing our part to shine a light on pancreatic cancer by offering a gorgeous purple arrangement paying homage to the women who raise and uplift us, through all walks of life. 50% of the profits from each sale of a “Hopeful Blooms” floral arrangement will benefit the Hirshberg Foundation. Place an order for delivery in Los Angeles and Orange County areas today!

Viola Floral currently delivers to the Los Angeles and Orange County areas.

Order Today »

To find out more about the Patient and Family Services we offer, please contact Amy Reiss at (310) 473-5121.

We’ve officially entered the age of the social video call for remote work, social events and family/friend gatherings. This virtual event checklist will help guide you as you dig into the details of your virtual fundraising event. From start-to-finish, we’re helping you set up your fundraising page, select an event idea, plan an event agenda, thank your attendees and more! If hosting a virtual event online is new to you, make sure you read our ‘How to Host a Virtual Event’ instruction sheet first. We share 5 steps to get started, video platforms, resources available and more.

☐ Select a Virtual Event Idea!

Before selecting an activity, check out the section below about partnering with a small business for an easy additional way to fundraise. Select an activity that you’ll enjoy planning and isn’t too complicated. Here are a few ideas to consider:

☐ Ask a Friend or Family Member to Co-host

Co-hosts can support each other through the planning process, learn how to set up the video call together and guide attendees through the online event.

☐ Create a Fundraising Page & Set a Goal

A fun event idea combined with a cause you care about will inspire people to not only attend your virtual event but also donate! Don’t hold back, present a strong call to action to drive donations and attendance. Fundraising is key but it can be kept simple. We suggest two easy ways to collection donations:

• Create an Event Fundraising Page to collection funds and follow up with each donation with a link to access your event.

• Create a Hirshberg Foundation Facebook Fundraiser to collect funds and follow up each donation with a link to access your event.

☐ Collect Donations or a Suggested Donation Entry Fee

It’s a fundraising event! In addition to collecting donations, if you partner with a business there may be a fee to purchase a product or service. If not, ask for a ‘suggested donation admission fee’ for an appropriate amount. Attendees donate to your fundraising page to cover the fee.

☐ Create your guestlist

Virtual fundraising events can range from small to large-scale depending on the activity. Set a limit of attendees based on what you’re comfortable with and the activity you choose.

☐ Plan an Agenda

Set an agenda so people know what to expect and how long you’ll dedicate to each part. For example: “We’ll chat from 6 to 6:30ish, then at 6:35 we’ll share the instructions for the activity, we begin the activity and at 8pm we wrap up by thanking everyone for participating and donating.

☐ Provide a Virtual Background

Zoom video conferencing allows you to upload your own photos, so you can really go wild with this one or allow everyone to spice up their own lives by adding backgrounds to their screens.

☐ Purple Décor

For pancreatic cancer awareness, add some purple accessories and decorations. The Hirshberg Foundation provides a Purple Spirit Box in our e-store that you can suggest or send to attendee households!

☐ Keep it short

One-hour-to-90-minute range tends to be the sweet spot for most online gatherings. Give them too much and their brains will shut off, give them too little and they will get bored. Give attendees a chance to get up, walk around, and grab drink.

☐ Keep it interactive but monitor noise

Even if your audience is not outspoken enough to ask questions, they typically will be willing to participate. Make sure you can mute everyone when the host needs to speak or if someone has to step away and there’s background noise.

☐ Play games

Tap into your attendees competitive side. Puzzles or riddles, crosswords, memory games, ordering tasks are all great ways to keep your attendees engaged and on-task. For added drama, impose a time limit. Try introducing a quick quiz and offer a small prize for the winner.

☐ Offer reward or prizes

Attendees will be more motivated to participate You should also consider extra incentives such as a competition or small prizes. Ask the Hirshberg Foundation if we can provide a few fun items to offer!

☐ Thank your donors and attendees!

As you finish your event, remember to thank your attendees for participating and giving. Let them know how they’re making a difference and send a thank you email or note to people who donated but didn’t attend.

Partner with a Local or Online Small Business

Before you decide on an event idea, consider whether a local small business would be interested in partnering with you. Do a little local research and you may find a business that provides a service or product to be the theme of your event. Many businesses are taking their in-person services and transitioning them to online while mailing products. Ask if they’ll donate 20% of their sales towards your fundraising. Examples include: a yoga studio teaching a virtual class if you sell the tickets, they’ll donate a portion of the proceeds; a wine bar that provides a cocktails/mocktails recipes or wine & cheese package and then offers an online tasting class; or a local baker willing to teach a pie making class online, provides a list of ingredients and offers a discounted pie for attendees for Thanksgiving. Get creative and simply ask. Small businesses are looking for exposure and community support and they recognize the value of supporting something their customers believe in and partnering with a charity!