By Janet Francis

Attending Tift College, in Forsyth, Georgia, I first learned of and admired a former graduate of this institution known only to me as Tribble. Her reputation for fun and adventure was not only known to those who attended college with her, but was also passed on to all rookie freshmen who entered Tift College halls. It was through a mutual friend and former graduate of Tift that I learned that Tribble was actually a last name and that her first name was Nancy. Over the years, Tribble became a fixture in my life and in the lives of those with whom she developed friendships not only through college, but through her work as well. Tribble entered the teaching profession, a career path taken by many who graduated from Tift College, and was ever the teacher. In any scenario, Tribble created ‘teachable moments’ about science, cooking, and travel. Each lesson was given with gusto and quite often, much humor.

When Tribble was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, she began researching the symptoms, cause and treatment. She was tireless in her research for facilities with expertise in the area of pancreatic cancer. She survived over a decade with a malignant cancer that is normally characterized by a much shorter survival period. Tribble created many humorous moments with each procedure and surgery performed to remove or reduce metastasized cancer cells. One such moment was during a radio frequency ablation of damaged liver cells when friends were urged to eat liver on her behalf.

I truly believe her passion and enthusiasm for life, her continued optimism for a cure, as well as her love of family and friends, extended her life beyond the amount of time normally ‘given’ to such patients. She exemplified love of life, as characterized by Sir Anton, Lover of Life, in the traditional Round Table Ceremony performed annually at Tift College. The qualities she exhibited during her college years followed her throughout her life. Though knighted during her senior year at Tift, she carried the essence of Sir Anton with her through every battle and to the very end.

Tribble will remain in the hearts of all those she touched – her friends, her students and her family.

The Thrill in D-Ville Annual Labor Day Road Race originated in the fall of 2009 with a small group of friends and family in Dawsonville, GA. They raised $700.00. The Second Annual event was bigger and better than the first, bringing in over $1500.00! We are looking forward to our Third Annual Thrill in D-Ville Labor Day Road Race on September 3, 2011 in an effort to raise money for the Hirshberg Foundation in the name of Nancy Faye Tribble.

By Sharon Rosenberg

Why does anyone commit themselves to long hours, frequent rejection, and no monetary compensation? Certainly, there is satisfaction when all the hard work finally culminates in an event that you can be proud of, but still that is not the reason. It is simple. I want to fight something that has shattered my life and torn my heart. That something is pancreatic cancer.

I lost my husband, Irving Rosenberg, to this disease. We were married for 41 years. He was not perfect. None of us are. He was my world. There is not a day that I don’t miss him. As I write this, tears come to my eyes, and all the hurt, frustration, and longing for him is as fresh as the day I lost him on our anniversary, September 3, 2007.

No one should have to experience pancreatic cancer and, for that matter, any cancer. I guess you could say my husband was lucky because he survived 20 months with it. Sometimes I think that he held on by sheer will. What he went through during those 20 months would test the strongest person. Endless tests, a Whipple procedure, chemotherapy, radiation, experimental drugs, cyber knife, unbelievable pain, and suffering. I was there for him through all of this, watching him, caring for him, and dealing with the medical and insurance community, both good and bad. It has forever changed me, but also has lit a passion in me that will last my lifetime.

I want to put an end to pancreatic cancer, now and forever. The only way to do that is through research. Research requires funding. Why is pancreatic cancer one of the least funded cancers? I know there are other cancers that receive better funding because they affect a larger portion of the population, but still too many people are stricken with pancreatic cancer.

So my son, Paul and I, through his company, Real Results Fitness, decided to put on a 5K and Kids Dash to benefit the Hirshberg Foundation. We chose the Hirshberg Foundation because my husband was diagnosed at UCLA by Dr. Howard Reber, but mostly because the people involved with this organization are a pleasure and a joy to work with on so many levels. They are so understanding and helpful. We do this for another reason. In the Las Vegas / Henderson community there has never been a fundraising event that calls attention to pancreatic cancer. We want the people in Clark County that have been touched by this disease to have an outlet to fire their passion in fighting for a cure. A fundraising event can give people stricken with pancreatic cancer and their families and opportunity to vent their frustrations and put a positive in their life.

Our 3^rd Annual 5K and Kids Dash at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, Nevada was bigger than last year! SUCCESS…we had over 400 people attend and raised more than $12,000! We were also honored to have two pancreatic cancer survivors participate in the walk. We are already looking towards next March for the 4^th Annual 5K and Kids Dash in 2012! For more information about our race, please go to www.realresultsfitness.com to register for next year. We welcome you to join us at our event.

By Nancy Amato

My name is Nancy Amato and I am a survivor of pancreatic cancer.

I will start my story from the beginning. In August, 2006, I had an episode of pancreatitis that would not respond to treatment. I had been having episodes of pancreatitis for about ten years but there was something different about this one so I was admitted to the hospital. All my scans were clean but I still wasn’t feeling any better. It wasn’t until I became jaundiced that everyone realized this was a serious problem. I was transferred to the Cleveland Clinic where I had a stent implanted which made me feel a little better, but still not great. An endoscopic ultrasound was performed which revealed a pancreatic mass, and I was referred to a wonderful, kind, highly-skilled surgeon. After many tests and discussions, I was scheduled for a Whipple procedure. I’ll spare you the gory details, but will tell you it’s a huge surgery. . .some organs are removed and some are rearranged, but it was the best chance I had to fight this horrible disease. As they began the surgery, on October 5^th, they found a lesion on my liver (making me a Stage 4 and not a candidate for the Whipple procedure). The lesion was biopsied and came back negative for cancer so they proceeded with the Whipple. Five days after surgery the surgeon came back and told me that the final pathology report on the liver lesion was actually cancer. I knew he had just saved my life.

After my surgery I began a regimen of chemotherapy and radiation at the University of Michigan before I was accepted into a vaccine study at Johns Hopkins, developed by Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee. Setting goals was an important part of my diagnosis and treatment. I wanted to attend my daughter’s graduation. I also wanted to attend my son’s, two years later. Once I reached both of these goals, I decided to take on my next challenge. All of my kids are in to marathons and triathlons so I decided to sign myself up and train for the LA Cancer Challenge 5K with the Hirshberg Foundation. On October 25, 2009, I completed my first 5K with over 30 family members and friends from all over the United States crossing the finish line with me. My sisters, nieces and co-workers surprised me when they flew in from out of town to join Team Nancy Pants.

In February, 2010, I received the good news that my 3 ½ year scan was clean. As I look back over the years I have been very blessed. I have been married to my wonderful husband, Chris, for 29 years, we have four beautiful children, I’ve been a nurse anesthetist for almost 30 years and love my job, I am a 3 ½ year pancreatic cancer survivor, and I am grateful for each day and live life to the fullest.   I don’t want to be the miracle for pancreatic cancer. . .I want to be the norm!

In the beginning I was too scared to believe I could survive. With each day I get a little stronger and a little more vocal. Agi was one of the first people I spoke with early in my treatment. She personally returned my phone call and gave me tons of encouragement and advice. From the beginning Agi offered me hope when no one else would. I will always be grateful to the Hirshberg Foundation…they make me feel like a part of their “Foundation family”. It is because of people like Agi and the Hirshberg Foundation that one day soon I will be the norm!

By Agi Hirshberg

As the founder of the Foundation, the best part of the LA Cancer Challenge is meeting the families who have joined our fight, and who affirm my commitment to eradicating this disease. One such family that I connected with at this years’ event included Suzie Monotosi Greenbaum, Team Captain of “Run for Pedro”, and her dad, 9 year survivor Pedro Motonishi.

“Run for Pedro” was a familiar team in our offices. Suzie participated in her first LA Cancer Challenge (LACC) back in 2005, in order to support her dad who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2001. She became a team captain as a way to involve family and friends, and has been a part of every LACC since then. At the LACC last October I invited Pedro and Suzie to visit the Hirshberg Laboratories on the UCLA campus.

The following month I met Pedro and Suzie on the UCLA campus to spend a few hours visiting our labs. Usually when I take guests on lab tours, it is the doctors who do all the talking, while the patients or families listen. This visit was different. This time, it was the doctors who were listening, fascinated by Pedro’s story.

He told us his ancestors migrated from China to Peru, and eventually ended up in Southern California. For treatment, he has received different chemotherapy regimens over the years, including Gemzar/Xeloda, Iressa and Gemzar/Cicsplatin and has also undergone radiation. Along with the chemotherapy and Chinese Herbal Medicine, Pedro also does electrical acupuncture. He attributes most of his 9-year survival to a regimen of Chinese Herbs obtained from a physician in Los Angeles. All of this while still continuing to play soccer and enjoy a game of golf every now and then. A picture of good health, Pedro was anxious to complete the tour to return home in time for his soccer league game!

While Pedro’s survival rate remains the exception and not the standard, his story is an inspirational one. In addition to fighting the disease himself, he also offers guidance to others who are interested learning more about his combination of traditional and non-traditional therapies. Pedro’s story has shown that there are ways to manage this disease and live fulfilling lives well beyond the typically tragic post-diagnosis life expectancy. Our fight is to make Pedro’s story the standard and not the exception.

By John C. Werner

On November 23, 2009, I competed in the Tempe, Arizona Ironman triathlon in memory of my mother, who lost her battle with pancreatic cancer.

The event started at 7 AM, just as the sun was rising over the desert horizon. When the start cannon sounded, all participants were given 17 hours to navigate the Ironman course: a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile marathon.

Throughout the event, I wore a purple Hirshberg Foundation wristband representing the fight against the disease and ongoing research efforts to find a cure. I can recall looking down at the wristband and gaining inspiration and strength, especially during the hours spent on the bike and throughout the marathon.

Through the generosity of family, friends and even strangers, I raised over $3,000 for the Foundation.

I’m scheduled to participate in the 2010 Arizona Ironman event again in November, and plan to once again use it as a fundraiser event. I’ll be wearing the purple wristband throughout my training and in the event, on behalf of those impacted by the disease, and as a reminder to remain strong and keep working towards the Finish Line….and a cure.

By Hilary Price Morgan

After many months of misdiagnosis, my mother, Rebecca Price, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January of 2008. Her diagnosis came at a time when our family was looking forward to a couple of exciting changes. I was newly engaged and my brother and his wife were expecting their first child. Because aggressive treatment needed to start and my husband, who is in the military, was deploying in just a few weeks, it was not possible for us to have a traditional wedding that my mom would have liked for me to have. My mother lost her battle eleven weeks later. It was a harsh reality–my mom would not be at my wedding or at the birth of her first grandson.

After many conversations with the oncologist, it was alarming to hear that there were not many options for pancreatic cancer patients. It was during those conversations that I knew more medical advances were needed in order to give pancreatic cancer patients a chance to survive. Over the next few months, my fiancé and I began to plan our wedding. We knew that, in lieu of wedding favors, we wanted to donate to a foundation that supported pancreatic cancer research. After researching many organizations, we came across the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. I was encouraged by the Hirshberg Foundation, because their main focus is to raise funds to support pancreatic cancer research in hopes that there will one day be a cure. After sending in our contribution, we received purple organza satchels and cards explaining that a donation was made in lieu of wedding favors and in memory of my mother.

After participating in the Hirshberg Foundation’s Wedding and Celebrations Program, I began to receive updates on medical research that the Foundation was supporting and opportunities to participate in other events they sponsored. One of these emails contained information regarding the Hirshberg Training Team and their participation as an official charity at the Los Angeles Marathon. I immediately wanted to join the team. This was another opportunity for me to raise funds for pancreatic cancer research and bring awareness to such a devastating disease. I look forward to completing my first marathon in memory of my mother in March.

Though my mother was not able to attend my wedding in person or see me complete my first marathon, her spirit and love continues to be with me everyday. In honor of her courageous battle, I will continue to support the Hirshberg Foundation’s efforts to raise awareness and money for pancreatic cancer research.