Waging Hope
Compassion. Electric energy. Mother. These are just a few words that describe my dearest childhood friend's mother, Tilda Jayne. Though we were both in elementary school at the time, it was evident that one scan would change the women we loved for good. After a valiant nine month fight, God called His beautifully radiant daughter home. Her legacy of love and laughter lives on through her two daughters.
Today is World Pancreatic Cancer Day, which is an opportunity to raise awareness and wage hope for the many who battle the disease and those care for family and loved ones.
Five facts provided by the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition:
1. The pancreas lies behind the stomach and in front of the spine. It works to help the body use and store energy from food by producing hormones to control blood sugar levels and digestive enzymes to break down food.
2. Pancreatic cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the pancreas grow out of control, forming a mass of tissue called a tumor.
3. Early diagnosis is key: patients who are diagnosed in time for surgery have a much higher likelihood of surviving five years.
4. Symptoms – including abdominal or back pain, weight loss, jaundice, loss of appetite, nausea, changes in stool, and diabetes – are often subtle and are generally initially attributed to other less serious and more common conditions.
5. The cause of the majority of pancreatic cancer cases is unknown. For the few known risk factors (e.g., familial history, smoking, obesity, age), more research is needed to understand their direct relationship to the disease
This month, I will be posting purple products to my Penned with Purpose collection to raise funds for the American Cancer Society to aid research efforts and hopefully a cure in our lifetime.
World Pancreatic Cancer Day is an initiative of the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition (WPCC). The WPCC’s mission is to drive transformational change for all those affected by pancreatic cancer. The WPCC has more than 50 member organizations from over 20 different countries.
For more information about World Pancreatic Cancer Day and WPCC members, visit worldpancreaticcancerday.org or reading their FAQ.
Here's to spreading hope together!
XOX,
Hayley
