In 2019, Julie Weiss, Hirshberg Foundation Ambassador and ‘Marathon Goddess’, began running 52 Races for 52 Faces in a year-long challenge to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. Every race included a special dedication. Survivors and loved ones shared stories of hope, love, loss and resilience. Together, they showed the journey of patients and the people who love them. This is one of the heartfelt Never Give Up stories shared.

By: Robert Hollawell Sr.

A 15-year survivor, Robert is a warrior and survivor who remains very determined and never quits! He is a family man who tries to be the best, husband, father, and pop-pop to his grandkids. With everything he has been through in his life – pancreatic cancer, surgery, neck disc replacement surgery, a heart attack, stent surgery and daily pain – he continues to have a strong faith in God and that shines in him. He always does what is right, not what is easy.

Robert has a great smile and personality, he is loving and loveable, hardworking, kind, compassionate, strong, generous and selfless. He puts others ahead of himself. He has taught his family and set the standard for what a friend, husband, father, and grandfather should be – simply awesome. Oh, and he’s very funny!

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

In 2019, Julie Weiss, Hirshberg Foundation Ambassador and ‘Marathon Goddess’, began running 52 Races for 52 Faces in a year-long challenge to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. Every race included a special dedication. Survivors and loved ones shared stories of hope, love, loss and resilience. Together, they showed the journey of patients and the people who love them. This is one of the heartfelt Never Give Up stories shared.

By: Margie Sperling

I am very humbled as an 11-year pancreatic cancer survivor. I am not the one who deserves this honor. It is all those who cared and supported me throughout my journey (and continue to do so), who are the heroes. I do not say that lightly. The medical expertise I benefited, and continue to benefit, from, my family, friends and colleagues truly are what have kept me alive to this day. I am honored to have shared my full story as a guest at the Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer and am so grateful that my appearance has been useful to others dealing with this terrible disease. If sharing my story and celebrating my 11-year survivorship is the one of the best ways to serve the community and raise awareness, please do.

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

In 2019, Julie Weiss, Hirshberg Foundation Ambassador and ‘Marathon Goddess’, began running 52 Races for 52 Faces in a year-long challenge to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. Every race included a special dedication. Survivors and loved ones shared stories of hope, love, loss and resilience. Together, they showed the journey of patients and the people who love them. This is one of the heartfelt Never Give Up stories shared.

Boston Athletic Association 5K 2019

By: Lillian Johansen

I was diagnosed March, 2017 with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. My son’s perseverance and insistence is why I am here today. I am also alive to say to others, never, never ignore your symptoms, press the doctors for tests and exams, have your tumor biopsied so they know what kind of cancer you have, as not every PC is the same and the treatments are different.

I was very active, athletic even, before my cancer. Never had any illnesses to speak of. Worked as LPN with late onset brain injury patients and had moved back to my home country Denmark in 2008. I’d come to the US in 1984 and loved America but my heartache and loneliness brought me home. I came with the intent to look after my parents who were both ailing and not faring well. They died in 2012 and 2015 respectively; I am so happy I was able to be there for them. In 2016 I began to have stomach issues, but I was never examined or scanned. I worked very hard, taught spinning and was active with friends and family; I just thought I had too much going on.

I had to have a massive metastasis removed from my pancreas along with both ovaries following 1 year of chemo therapy that almost killed me. My son found an oncologist in Denver, CO who was willing to talk to me. At the time, my doctors in Denmark told me I was terminal and treated me as such. I would have possibly succumbed to treatment had my son not interfered, God Bless him. I did not know anything about the pancreatic cancer community or the support available. My son Jonathan, while studying to become a Physicians Assistant, found a team of doctors who were willing to take me on in Denver where he lives. My doctors in Denmark gave up on me before they even knew what kind of pancreatic cancer I had. They were onboard to explore my cancer and, in the end, remove it.

As it turns out I have a rare form of pancreatic cancer and Microsatelite Instability or MSI, a condition that means my immune system is so unique that it actually helped kill the cancer. Thanks to my oncologist and a team of surgeons who later removed my tumor, I have been cancer free since July, 2018. I am now moving back to the US to be near doctors who know how to handle this disease.

I am grateful for my strong body which conquered the hardest chemotherapy for months on end. As time went on I resigned myself to die, it felt like I was, and I made all the arrangements, but once I got away from the chemo I started to get strong again, walking miles every day with my son’s dogs in Denver. After the surgery in July 2018, that removed half of my Pancreas and Spleen, I had serious complications and had stents placed, I also had a clot on my Portal Vein.

I want the world to know what my son, Jonathan, did for me. I also want to honor my friendships. Kathy Stinson and Jane Pomponio flew me for a week of girl fun in March, 2018 and Annelis McGee flew me for a week of relaxation by her pool in Alabama, the week prior to my surgery. They’ve all been very helpful and generous.

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

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.

My symptoms started back in 2008 when I felt tired all the time. I thought it was because I was working a lot of hours. It hit me when I was driving home one day, and it took me 3 hours to get home. That’s because I had pulled over and fell asleep. It took me weeks before I told my wife and that’s when I went to the doctor.

Once I saw the doctor and tests were run, I was told I have cancer. However, my doctor doesn’t specialize in cancer, so I was referred to another doctor who ran more tests and discovered I have Neuroendocrine Tumors (Carcinoid Cancer). That doctor didn’t have a clue of what to do. As far as I was concerned the clock was ticking. With a lot of prayers and our own research we found a doctor who was a specialist in Carcinoid Cancer. He told me that I have the same cancer that Steve Jobs had, where it started on the tip of the pancreas and the tumors moved to my liver.

It was never said to me I was high risk because of my race but I was told many people are misdiagnosed. I think shining a light on this topic only once a month is not enough to help people no matter what their ethnicity. I look at all of us as God’s children and iron sharpens iron. I’m also blessed to have a family who cares and pushes me to continue the fight.

I’ve met many people since my journey began. I’ve heard their stories and most people don’t do any research for themselves and you know the results. There is a lot of information out there and people need to do their research and then reach out to organizations for help. I realize that health care is a major factor for cancer. I didn’t do any research on genetics or ethnicity specifically because that really didn’t matter after I was told I have cancer.

I’ve been to many meetings about pancreatic cancer and how it can branch out to other physical problems. I’ve felt like a raisin in a bowl of rice and I truly don’t understand. I know someone who had pancreatic cancer and they invited me to a luncheon for survivors and caregivers. It was very informative, so I’ve told others about Hirshberg Foundation. I’ve been to 2 affairs and just to hear other people talk about living with cancer is support to me. There is a lot of help and support out there and you have to drop your color barrier because cancer is like a bullet it has no name on it. We’re all in this together.

By Jeff Ross

I was diagnosed April 11, 2014; Adenosarcoma was the diagnosis with mets to the liver. My wife, Shareen, found out about Agi’s great work so we attended a ‘Game Day’ event in Brentwood where I first met both Agi and Allison. I can’t speak highly enough about them both. They’ve been extremely helpful in getting me into UCLA.

Dr. Schwartz at Kaiser Woodland Hills has been my oncologist. He believes in me being active and doing things that I enjoy in life – things to keep me looking forward! I also see Dr. Lucy Postolov, an acupuncturist, and have had second opinions with great doctors like Dr. Lee Rosen at UCLA. Combined they have all given me hope, inspiration, and great treatments.

My “new normal” is to do something good for myself as often as I can. This includes using a trainer to get stronger, or taking yoga classes with my wife to help improve balance and get more meditative. My wife Shareen inspires me with her positive attitude. The ups are the weeks off from chemo and going out to see concerts and friends. The downs are the side effects of chemo, having neuropathy in my fingers and toes are bothersome and the G.I. side effects as well.

The new normal is to accept the diagnosis, and to fight every day against the disease but to also appreciate that life is truly a gift and to have gratitude for things each day. My wife and I are foodies, so we have a few special places we like to go to celebrate the little victories. We plan on doing a lot of traveling which we enjoy. I bought a new camera, as photography is a hobby and it gives me a lot of pleasure to get out and take pictures. I still maintain my literary management business, and reading clients’ new material helps motivate me in addition to getting them where they want to go.

My wife Shareen, my family and friends are my biggest supporters. This October my wife organized 13 people to join Team Jeff for the 17^th Annual LA Cancer Challenge. Our nephew Justin designed the t-shirts with the baseball motif “we’re going to knock cancer out of the ballpark!” We raised over $2,300, my sister and her boyfriend came out from New Jersey, and we all finished the 3.1 miles!