Pauline Bowlin

Bossier City, LA

On September 3rd, 2005, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, my mother and I took my sister, Char, to the emergency room for abdominal pain and nausea. Forty minutes later, in the middle of all the chaos, we were told that Char, age 51, probably had Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer. During my search on the internet, I came across the PanCAN website. The site enabled me to better communicate with my sister's physicians during her diagnosis and treatment. It also connected our family to a wealth of information and support with the PALS program.

During the November National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month, Char and our family did little things to raise awareness in our area. These small gestures to raise awareness gave Char a sense of accomplishment and hope, which was much needed at the time. Even after Char had lost her courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, PanCAN was there to support our family. I realized then that I needed to give back what was so freely given to us. I established the Louisiana-Northwest affiliate in January 2006 to honor my sister and to connect others with PanCAN. With PanCAN's help, we know we can make a difference!

Jan Thomas

Oklahoma City, OK