“The most heartbreaking thing was dressing Dad to go to the wedding and just seeing what the cancer had done to him.”
- Mel, who lost her father John to pancreatic cancer
When John was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer the average survival rate—even with treatment—was only six months.
As Christmas approaches, I ask you to spare a thought for those whose moments are running out.
Like all of us, Mel’s father John lived for the things and people he loved.
Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in Australia. It has one of the lowest five-year survival rates at around 12%.
“Every weekend he would take us out riding,” says Mel, “and bring out his little model aeroplane and fly it over us.”
John lived a life rich of precious moments. But then came the news that tore his life—and his family’s — apart.
John underwent surgery to remove a golf ball sized tumour and recovered incredibly quickly.
“He was walking the next day,” says Mel, “which was really amazing to see.”
But then came more devastating news: the cancer had spread to John’s lymph nodes and major blood vessels—his only remaining option was chemotherapy.
John was determined to walk his eldest daughter, Yvette, down the aisle. And despite his weakened condition, he did.
It was one of the toughest days yet on his journey with cancer.
“The most heartbreaking thing,” says Mel, “was dressing Dad to go to Yvette’s wedding and just seeing what the cancer had done to him.”
John passed away peacefully at home, gently squeezing Mel’s hand to comfort her, just like her mother did when she was little. It was their final and infinitely precious moment together.
We need to find a cure, and research is the key.
Dr. Marina Pajic is determined to find the answer. As a research scientist dedicated to pancreatic cancer research, she’s determined to overcome the issue of treatment resistance.
Dr Pajic and her team are using advanced genetic research “to understand the biology, the mechanisms behind treatment resistance so that we can find ways to overcome it.”
If treatment resistance can be overcome, people like John could continue with treatments that weaken their tumours. These treatments would keep working—bringing months or even years more of life.
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