- The Call
I will never forget being in Chicago on a work trip June, 2016, and getting that call from my mom, Barbara Phelps, and hearing those words: I have Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer. I called a friend who had a brother that fought and lost his battle with PC the year prior. He offered condolences and gave me the email to Dino Verrelli from Project Purple.
- The Fight
I now had a purpose to work with mom while she fought this uphill battle. Dino was incredibly helpful, first by having SO much knowledge to get me pointed down the right path of how I could best help mom, but more importantly, he was a man who had been down this road. I so appreciated that he was straight forward about the struggle ahead. He gave ideas of how to care for mom and what she could ask about with treatment options. He was also very realistic about the battle she faced and just why Project Purple is such a necessary organization.
- A Mission
Mom was given four months to live, which they thought was an ambitious goal at her advanced stage. She fought the good fight for fourteen months. She passed away Saturday, September, 30, 2017. This was the weekend of the Twin Cities Marathon. Dino and team were in town for the race. I will be forever thankful to be able to spend an hour with Dino that Friday afternoon. I have a million people in my life, but not many who have looked into this deadly, brutal disease head on. I made a promise to my mom that I would never stop working to do my little part to help find a cure so other families can take this diagnosis to a better conclusion.
