An Educational Event in Dallas Learn the latest about pancreatic cancer from specialists. Register today. Get Involved Today Volunteer to help create a fundraising event in your area. Proclaim Your Love With Purple Shop our online store and find a unique gift for that special someone. Celebrating a Special Event? Request donations to support our cause in lieu of occasion gifts.

Research Inaugural five-year Pathway to Leadership grant aims to ensure future research leadership. Newly Diagnosed? Order a Packet Get organized, learn about the disease and gather questions to ask your doctors. Make an Important Call on Feb. 11th Please plan to phone your Member of Congress and support advocacy efforts. Tempur-Pedic® Gives Back The company's generous support of our mission is deeply appreciated.

Message from the President and CEO Starting with this issue, guest columnists will be featured in this space periodically. These supporters, who will include survivors, patients, researchers, donors and volunteers, will share their own inspirational thoughts and uplifting stories about the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and its comprehensive mission. I hope you enjoy learning more about the different perspectives of our various community members. Julie Fleshman President and CEO Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Dear Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Friends: When I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late 2006, I felt very alone. Not only was I physically sick, but I had no frame of reference and knew no one who had dealt with this disease. I remember writing in a notebook, "I have cancer," over and over again, as if to make it real. In short order, I underwent surgery and returned home to begin chemotherapy, surrounded by many loving friends and my wonderful family. Despite that amazing web of support, I felt adrift and alone. A few weeks into my therapy, I received a call from Ellen Zeltmann, the Tidewater affiliate coordinator for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. She invited me to an organizational meeting of the local group. That evening, Ellen introduced me as a survivor, and I received a hearty round of applause from the folks there — all family members of people who had battled pancreatic cancer. Not only was I amazed to think of myself as a survivor, but for the first time, I did not feel alone. As I continued treatment, I began to attend meetings hosted by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and met a few other survivors. Then in the spring of 2008, my daughter and son-in-law told me that they were planning to participate in PurpleStride Chicago, an awareness-building and fund-raising event. My husband and grandson also signed up to walk and solicit pledges. On the day I arrived at the event, I was stunned when I saw a sea of two thousand purple shirts before me. All of those people were there to support me and others like me. I felt connected and filled with hope. I met 25 other survivors, and as we gathered on the platform to celebrate our lives, I resolved to return home and connect survivors in Southern Virginia with one another. With help from our local affiliate as well as referrals from medical personnel and area clergy, I began to connect with other survivors. Today, we are a group with a mission of mutual hope and strength. Each month we gather to share stories, provide resources for one another, and laugh...a lot. (Survivors know there is a weird and sometimes warped sense of humor that goes along with staring pancreatic cancer down, and we use it to the fullest.) Also, as part of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's Survivor and Caregiver Network, I feel privileged to join others on their journeys. I am honored to speak with other survivors and share my personal experience. My goal is to bring a sense of hope and community to everyone I speak with. When I was taken ill, I felt alone; now it is my work to try to make sure that no one here has to feel that way. In hope and strength, Margie Sullivan Margie Sullivan is a three-year survivor of pancreatic cancer, a member of the Survivor and Caregiver Network, and the facilitator of a survivors' group in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She is married, a mother and a very happy grandmother, as well. Before her diagnosis, Margie served as a consultant for leadership formation in nonprofits and churches. Today she uses her skills to benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. To connect with a Survivor and Caregiver Network volunteer please click here. Or, to volunteer to offer support and be contacted by others, please click here.

For information about including the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in your estate planning, click here.