Survivor Council

Anggie has been a PanCAN volunteer since 2013. She has served on the PanCAN Volunteer Advisory Council, has held positions as the PanCAN San Diego Affiliate Chair and the Sponsorship Chair, and she mentors new volunteers. She works as Head of Operations for Empirico Inc., a drug discovery and development company. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, yoga and golf.

Anggie has always led an active and healthy lifestyle, so it was a complete shock to her and her family when at 32 years old she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Her journey began in 1996 - she was out with her husband for one of their regular runs when she collapsed and could no longer continue. The nagging pain emanating from her abdomen to her back became excruciating.

She went to her doctor, who told her that she likely had the stomach flu and recommended an over-the-counter medication. Two weeks later, after experiencing a 15-pound weight loss, she knew she was facing something more serious. After insisting that she see a specialist, she was finally referred to an incredible gastroenterologist who was tenacious and would not give up in determining the cause of Anggie’s condition.

For several months, Anggie underwent a range of procedures, including an ultrasound, endoscopy, colonoscopy, MRIs, CT scans and octreotide scans. It was finally confirmed that the strange shape discovered during the ultrasound of her pancreas was actually a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor the size of a golf ball.

Within a few days she was in surgery for a distal pancreatectomy. Luckily, her tumor did not metastasize, and she did not require additional treatments. But this traumatic experience left more than the scars of surgery. Anggie felt a deep sense of survivor’s guilt. She eventually chose to channel that energy by volunteering with PanCAN, through which she gives hope to those newly diagnosed. Anggie believes that by being an active part of this community she can help find better treatments that offer a greater chance at survival for patients.

Anne of Potomac, Md., was diagnosed with stage I pancreatic cancer in 2005. As an otherwise healthy 37-year-old, she was shocked at the diagnosis. But she was also fortunate to have caught it early, when abdominal pain, back pain and nausea prompted her to seek medical attention.

After surgery which removed a third of her pancreas, Anne continued her treatment with chemotherapy and radiation, followed by more chemotherapy. Throughout treatment, she continued working full time as vice president of treasury at Marriott International, while taking care of her young family.

Her oncologist referred her to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's (PanCAN) website. In 2009, when PanCAN's National Capital Area Affiliate began planning the first PurpleStride Washington, D.C., Anne began her active involvement as a PanCAN volunteer. Over the years, Anne has served as the emcee for PurpleLight and participated in National Pancreatic Cancer Advocacy Day. She even swam 1-mile in the Chesapeake Bay for PurpleSwim – twice!

Today she continues to help organize PurpleStride Washington, D.C. and represent the affiliate as its media spokesperson. Anne currently works as vice president of finance for PM Hotel Group.

John is a six-year pancreatic cancer survivor who has been married to his wife Cindy for 48 years. He is retired and lives in Cumberland, RI They have two children and four grandchildren.

The diagnosis came as quite a shock but John, the whole family, and many friends were positive that he could beat this tough cancer… and he did.

After having some fatigue and abdominal discomfort in early 2015, John’s doctor ordered bloodwork and a sonogram and while waiting for the results, his family noticed yellowing of the eyes. He went for a CT scan, which showed a spot on his pancreas. Two weeks later he was undergoing the Whipple Surgery. Chemo followed, and then radiation. Luckily, all went well and John tolerated the unpleasantness, as many have. It’s six years now, and, “Thank God, I feel great,” he said.

John formed “Team WALMSLEY” for PurpleStride Rhode Island, held each year in Warwick, R.I., and he continues to participate and raise money for PanCAN. “They were a great source of help and comfort during those early months of uncertainty and anxiety,” John said. “Thank you, PanCAN!”

John is a musician who plays guitar and piano and sings at many local establishments. In addition, he has been an active member of the music ministry at his church for over 30 years.

He has a great interest in flying and acquired his private pilot certificate in 1975. Although he is no longer actively flying, he goes up any chance he gets and enjoys every minute.

John and Cindy love to travel, hike and ski but mostly they enjoy being together with family and friends.

“POSITIVITY!” John said. “That is the key.”

Joy Faye Heines was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004. An elementary school physical education teacher, coach, and mother of three, Joy’s autumn was business as usual until she experienced abdominal pain that stopped her in her tracks. A visit to her internist resulted in a trip to the ER for an abdominal ultrasound that found nothing. Not satisfied with the results, her internist ordered a CT scan which revealed a dime-sized mass in the pancreas.

A needle biopsy from a surgeon her internist referred her to showed no signs of cancer, but the surgeon said, “Nothing that can grow in the pancreas can be good,” so a Whipple procedure was scheduled after much thought and prayer.

Joy’s Whipple was on November 9, 2004. The surgical biopsy results were clear: pancreatic cancer. All the margins were clean, and Joy was cancer-free. This was certainly reassuring, but the doctor was also clear: “We don’t have very good luck with pancreatic cancer … and you are going to be my poster child for survivors.” Soon, he had obtained approval for Joy to join a study and had assembled an oncologist, radiologist and support teams. Joy’s treatment was to include concurrent daily radiation and three types of chemotherapy for six weeks followed by a month break, followed by two more six-week courses of the same chemotherapies separated by a month’s break. It took 12 weeks to complete the first six-week course of treatment, as two 17-day hospitalizations – one in the middle and one at the end of the treatment – caused the team to say that Joy was done. They explained the treatment had nearly killed her twice and they were not willing to risk it again.

In 2013, Joy discovered and joined a fledgling Pancreatic Cancer Action Network group in Louisville who were amazed that she was a survivor. No one in the group, comprised primarily of family and friends of those who were affected by pancreatic cancer, had ever met someone who had survived that long. As a result of joining PanCAN, she became a beacon of hope to the group and to survivors in the Louisville area.

She served as the chair of the PurpleLight event for the local group and once Louisville was made an affiliate, she quickly stepped up additionally as the PanCAN PurpleStride chair. Her years of experience as a cross-country and track coach and meet organizer made her the perfect choice for that role. She has also traveled to Washington, D.C., at each opportunity for PanCAN’s annual advocacy event and served as the Louisville Advocacy Chair. Joy has received the Randy Pausch Award from PanCAN for her volunteer service. She is dedicated to raising awareness and looks forward to the day when this all-too-often silent killer will be eradicated.

After 33 years, Joy retired from teaching in 2018. She continues to remain as active as ever as a Girl Scout leader, coach of a JCPS affiliated cross-country running club and working at a greenhouse formerly owned by someone affected by pancreatic cancer. Joy and her husband Rob are anxiously waiting for the day they are blessed with some grandchildren!

Nick is married to the love of his life, Jennifer. They have a son (Nicholas), daughter (Samantha) and two dogs (Jersey and Penny). Nick is a long-distance runner who enjoys running marathons, half marathons and has completed an Ironman 70.3.

Nothing prepared Nick for the news he would receive when he ended up in the emergency room on March 7, 2017. Nick went to the hospital because he couldn't eat, had extreme back pain and simply couldn't wait for his upcoming gastrointestinal (GI) appointment.

The hospital completed several tests in a few hours. When the doctors came in to see Nick, they explained he had a mass on the head of his pancreas that required further study. Nick received an MRI the next day with a rush order on the results. He met with multiple pancreatic specialists and they all agreed with the diagnosis: Stage III inoperable pancreatic cancer (adenocarcinoma).

Nick began his first line of treatment, which was chemotherapy. After just three sessions, a CT scan showed the tumor was shrinking. But Nick's body had a difficult time recovering from the chemotherapy, so his doctors limited his chemotherapy to six sessions. Nick then began five weeks of radiation with a low dose chemotherapy each Monday. After radiation, a new CT scan showed that the tumor had shrunk further and pulled away from the superior mesenertic artery and vein.

In October of 2017, Nick underwent a 10-hour pylorus preserving Whipple procedure. The procedure was a complete success and scans no longer showed any evidence of disease. Nick was released from the hospital just five days after surgery, and he was determined to go home and heal. Thirteen days later, Nick was the survivor speaker at the PurpleStride Philadelphia event.

Nick joined the Philadelphia PanCAN Affiliate in 2018 and is currently the sponsorship chair. For Nick, being an Affiliate member is an honor and a privilege. He attended his first National Pancreatic Cancer Advocacy Day in June of 2018 and will continue to advocate every year until the outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients are radically different. Nick has lost two cousins to pancreatic cancer and his uncle is on hospice care with stage IV pancreatic cancer. It has been difficult to watch family members and friends die from pancreatic cancer, but Nick carries their memories with him each day as a reminder that we must do more.

During a March 2011 work trip to Florida, Pamela Jackson had such intense stomach pain that her husband took her to the ER. Pamela was no stranger to abdominal pain – pancreatitis had landed her in the hospital at least six times, even when she was pregnant with her second child. This visit to the ER eventually led to a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

After Pamela and her family returned home to California, she had surgery to remove the tumor, followed by six months of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation. A year and a half later, on December 12, 2012, Pamela and her husband welcomed their third child, a healthy baby girl.

Pamela’s husband found PanCAN Patient Services when he researched how to get help. She wishes her doctors had told her about the resources PanCAN offers. After treatment, she got involved with PanCAN.

She shared her story at PanCAN PurpleStride Los Angeles 2013, and she attended PanCAN’s annual advocacy event in Washington, D.C., to urge Congress to make pancreatic cancer research funding a priority. Now, though, she is ready to speak out in a bigger way about the disease. She is sharing her experience more broadly in hopes of helping others who have faced pancreatic cancer, too.

She is also determined to make sure the Black community has more information on pancreatic cancer and the risk factors and symptoms. She was diagnosed early but knows that is rare with this disease, and that it affects Black Americans more than any other racial or ethnic group.

Paris is a native of West Philadelphia and she’s a proud Speed-Girl, an alum who played sports at West Philadelphia High School! She has roots in South Carolina on both sides of her family, which explains her affinity for sweet potato pie. Along with baking and her love of animals (she is even the godparent to a dog!), she’s an avid reader, a seamstress, a Sixers fan, a tax counselor and a cowgirl.

That all came to a pause when in 2003, Paris was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Smart enough to accept God’s plan, yet determined enough not to give up, she did not allow her diagnosis to deflate her wonderful spirit. Although she had her moments, she continued to “stay strong.” As an all-around sports fan, watching sports became her distraction during her recovery, helping her to cope when she was unable to participate in any of her normal pastimes.

Paris got involved with PanCAN in 2014 after learning about PanCAN PurpleStride. With her background in finance, members of the PanCAN Philadelphia Affiliate asked Paris to take on the fiscal aspects of the yearly PurpleStride event. In 2020, she was tapped to serve as the affiliate’s Outreach Chair. Her work has helped to expand the organization’s presence locally by building relationships within the community, including nonprofits, healthcare providers and faith-based organizations.

Through it all, Paris’ survivor’s stride has not been broken as she steps up to serve on the PanCAN Survivor Council.

In 2016, a small growth was found at the head of Randi's pancreas. She went in for an ultrasound, followed by an MRI, then a CT scan and finally a biopsy. The results weren't conclusive in terms of the tumor being malignant or benign, but it was clear that it needed to be removed. So in September of that year, Randi went in for a Whipple procedure. During the procedure it was confirmed that she had pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer. It had spread, and ultimately her pancreas, spleen, gallbladder and part of the intestine were removed.

None of this was expected but Randi received amazing care in Oakland, Calif., and continues to benefit from the never-ending support from her family, friends and care team. Her cancer is well-managed for now.

But Randi felt the need to do a little more and to try to pay it forward. Earlier on in her journey, she was thrilled when she ran into a PanCAN booth at a local fair for cancer patients. There she met Krystal, a lead volunteer with PanCAN’s San Francisco Affiliate. They exchanged information and about a year later, in 2019, she joined the Affiliate as the Outreach Chair. She continues to serve PanCAN in that role.

Randi still lives in Oakland and currently works in marketing at a tech company. She loves all that the Bay Area and life have to offer, from functions and fun to drinking and dining. And when she is at home, she enjoys reading DC Comics, tending to her houseplants and watching reality TV.

Ray’s story with pancreatic cancer started back in 1997 when he had his gallbladder removed. A year later Ray was having gallbladder “attack” type pain and his gastroenterologist ordered an ERCP. He found a “mucus plug,” which Ray later found out meant a tumor type mass. It was benign. Officially diagnosed as pancreatitis.

Ray had an ERCP every six months until his last one in November 2012. Each time the mass had not grown or changed shape and was still benign. However, in mid-February 2013, Ray became jaundiced and had back pain. Ray’s gastroenterologist admitted him, did some tests, and came to talk to Ray in his hospital room to tell Ray he suspected it was pancreatic cancer and that it would need to come out.

Ray’s doctor referred him to another doctor, who confirmed the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. They scheduled the necessary test and finally surgery. On March 22, 2013, Ray had a total pancreatectomy that removed his pancreas, spleen, duodenum, and some ducts and blood vessels.

Following two weeks in the hospital Ray had six months of chemotherapy and then five and a half weeks of daily radiation with his final radiation treatment on December 23, 2013. A fantastic Christmas gift.

Despite being insulin dependent, Ray has been cancer-free since his surgery.

From their Port Washington, Wis., home, Ray and his wife, Brenda, have been active with PanCAN’s Milwaukee Affiliate since they attended the PurpleLight event in November 2015. Ray remembers Brenda saying to him that there were so few survivors unlike many other cancers, so it was important for them to be involved. Together they have participated in their local PurpleStride and the past two years they have organized PurpleLight as co-chairs. Ray and Brenda attend affiliate meetings and assist the affiliate with other activities and fundraising.

The Shupes enjoy their cottage in northern Wisconsin with their three grown children and their spouses, and three grandchildren. Ray is involved with a nonprofit ecumenical youth ministry in Port Washington/Saukville, and for the last four years he has served as the Board President of the group.

Further, they love fishing, boating and hunting. Now that they are retiring (Ray since 2013, Brenda soon) they look forward to more traveling around the United States.

Reesa Levy is a six-year pancreatic cancer survivor – and still going strong. After completing treatment, which included surgery, chemotherapy, and participation in clinical trials, she joined the PanCAN Broward-Palm Beach Affiliate as Advocacy Chair. Reesa has used her voice to advocate for increased funding in Washington, D.C., during PanCAN’s annual advocacy event, and has served as a Team Captain for PanCAN PurpleStride for four years. She also serves as an unofficial resource for newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer patients who are referred to her by family and friends, encouraging them to use PanCAN’s free resources.

Reesa was born in New York City, where she lived with her husband of 53 years and her two children before relocating to Florida. Her career with the New York City Public Schools spanned 34 years, including seven years as the principal of a large urban high school in Brooklyn. Reesa earned two master’s degrees from Brooklyn College and Hunter College in New York City.

Reesa is looking forward to being part of the Pancreatic Cancer Survivor Council and considers it an honor to have been chosen.

Stephanie lived in the SF Bay Area for over 30 years before moving to Southern Oregon in 2015, working as a Medical Assistant in Ashland, OR. In 2018, she moved to Portland.

In late 2015/early 2016, Stephanie began experiencing vague upper abdominal discomfort and nausea after eating. Lacking a primary care physician (PCP) in her new home state, she began seeking help from the medical community and was tested for all kinds of heart problems due to the general location of her discomfort.

When she finally got in to see her amazing and on-the-ball new PCP in spring of 2016, she was immediately sent for an ultrasound which showed a large mass on the tail of her pancreas. The subsequent biopsies were negative and since her CA 19-9 was only 24, it was presumed that the mass was benign. Her PCP referred her to a gastroenterologist for follow-up and two months later at that appointment, the doctor insisted on taking a closer look at the mass through an endoscopic ultrasound and biopsy.

The biopsy was positive for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. After the roller coaster of the prior nine months, it was almost a relief to finally know what was wrong and that it wasn’t in her head, as she had been told by several providers. In one notable case, she told the provider that it hurt when she pressed a specific place on her abdomen. She was told that if it hurt, she shouldn’t press there.

This journey of searching for answers inspired Stephanie to promote self-advocacy for patients, to ask doctors to take a closer look at their patients’ symptoms, and to become involved with PanCAN as a volunteer.

In early August of 2016, at 58 years old, Stephanie had a distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy, followed by six months of chemo. She has been “no evidence of disease” since. At diagnosis, Stephanie was referred to PanCAN as a source of support and for research on promising new treatment discoveries. Finding community and a reliable source of information provided comfort after reading the misinformation available on the internet.

When Stephanie joined PanCAN, she took over running the monthly Survivor/Thriver/Caregiver Support Meetings via Zoom. Joined by her co-host, a palliative care social worker and fellow cancer survivor, Stephanie has invited leaders in the field of pancreatic research and other healthcare professionals to give presentations on topics of interest to the group at the meetings. She has been a Peer Support Volunteer for Providence Medical Center. As a member of the Portland Affiliate, she has headed up the Survivor/Thriver Hospitality Tent at PanCAN PurpleStride since 2022, was the emcee for PurpleLight in 2021, and has participated in advocacy work with the team.

Stephanie lives with her small dog in the Greater Portland area. Her grown-son Nicholas is the light of her life and her motivation for continuing to thrive. She is currently working part-time as a receptionist and spends every free moment living her real-life mermaid dream: swimming and teaching mermaid certification classes.

Steven is an 11-year survivor of stage IV pancreatic cancer. After a Whipple procedure and aggressive chemotherapy, and with the help of his PanCAN Patient Services Case Manager, he was the first person in the United States to enroll in a clinical trial for a PARP inhibitor which was very successful for him. Steven’s first encounter with PanCAN was in 2013 at a scientific symposium sponsored by the New York City Affiliate. Once the bulk of his treatments were behind him, his next focus was on patient advocacy. In 2017, he attended his first PanCAN Advocacy event in Washington, D.C., and in 2019 became a state group leader meeting members of the House of Representative or their staff.

A 40-year career in clinical cancer, immunology and stem cell research at academic, government and private research foundations in the U.S. and Switzerland has given him a unique perspective on helping others deal with this disease. He is very active in several U.S. and a Canadian-based support group where he explains and answers questions on the biology of cancer, treatments and clinical trials. Steven has received several appointments with various organizations including serving as a patient research advocate on the GI Cancers Committee of the nonprofit cancer research organization ECOG-ACIN, providing input from a patient perspective during the development and revision of clinical trials. Most recent advocacy position is on the Cancer Communications Committee of ASCO.

Now retired from his career in research, Steven splits his time between his home at the New Jersey Shore and visiting family in Switzerland a few times a year. He has contact with patients worldwide and has actively promoted the many programs and services the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network offers.

Terry is from the suburbs of Chicago, and has lived there her whole life. A widow of 17 years, she has two daughters and six grandchildren. They are the love of her life besides her 5-year-old goldendoodle. She’s been working part time at a golf course paddle club for the past five years. She enjoys golfing, traveling and spending time with her friends and family. Her grandchildren keep her busy with all their sports activities.

Her life completely changed one weekend in February 2023. She woke up to massive diarrhea that went away but came back again two days later with itching and bruising on her stomach area. She called her internist first thing Monday morning and he saw her immediately. He wasn’t sure what was happening but took some blood and noticed Terry was jaundiced. He ordered an ultrasound scan and found a blockage on the head of her pancreas. She had a stent put in within a week, but it was a temporary fix. Then she had an MRI which confirmed that she had a tumor on the head of her pancreas – stage II cancer.

She met a well-respected oncologist surgeon and had the Whipple procedure in April of 2023 – all was good. The tumor, which was the size of a walnut, was removed and then she had chemo twice a month for the next six months. She says it was awful. She had every symptom you could imagine but kept fighting – her daughters were her caregivers and main supporters.

In December 2023, Terry finished chemo, and was completely cancer free. She rang the bell and began living her life again. She says that “After being diagnosed with cancer, you live differently and don’t wait to do things. Without my daughters, their husbands and my amazing friends, I’m not sure I could have done it.

She was introduced to PanCAN by her oncologist in August 2023, and thought she’d like to get involved in this amazing organization. “I had a team for PanCAN PurpleStride 2024 and reached out to volunteer. I was co-chair of PurpleStride Chicago 2025. I want to give back and do whatever it takes to fight this awful disease. We need research, tests that can diagnose it early and people fighting.”

Terry is now two and a half years cancer free. Terry notes that when you talk to some survivors, they’ve made it way past the five-year mark. “I pray I am one of them.”

At a family luncheon in May 2021, Tom Yoder, a retired financial systems architect, felt an unusual fullness. His primary care physician suspected pancreatitis and referred him to a gastroenterologist, who confirmed the diagnosis.

By September, the feeling returned, lasting several days. Perplexed, his gastroenterologist suggested “monitoring” the situation. When symptoms recurred a month later, Tom and his wife Debbie, a retired nurse practitioner, sought a second opinion at Cleveland Clinic. At Debbie’s urging, Tom went to their ER, where she convinced the ER Dr. to admit him, and a subsequent scan revealed a tumor.

Cleveland Clinic surgeon Robert Simon, MD, who specializes in hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery, reviewed Tom’s case. Concerned the tumor was cancerous, he scheduled surgery without waiting for biopsy results. Dr. Simon performed a distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy, and later biopsy results confirmed stage 1B pancreatic cancer.

“We caught it early, which is uncommon,” notes Dr. Simon. He credits Tom and Debbie for seeking prompt care and points to Tom’s good health and activity as key advantages in tolerating chemotherapy, which began five weeks post-surgery.

“Even with successful surgery, there is a high risk the cancer can come back, so an aggressive chemotherapy protocol that includes a combination of drugs is pretty standard,” says Alok Khorana, MD, a Cleveland Clinic hematology and medical oncology specialist. “The goal of the chemotherapy is to prevent the cancer from coming back.”

Tom underwent six months of treatment (12 biweekly sessions). Despite fatigue and other side effects, he stayed active – walking an average of 16,000 steps daily, playing tennis and biking. “My diagnosis was a devastating blow, but I was determined to stay strong and positive,” he says, crediting family, especially Debbie, for support.

In May 2022, with chemo complete and no evidence of disease, Tom attended a grandchild’s high school graduation, and a month later welcomed his ninth grandchild. Then Tom began tackling his bucket list: celebrating his 70th birthday, traveling to 10 states (bringing his total visited to 49), and biking over 12,000 outdoor miles – including treks across Iowa (527 miles in 2023) and from Cleveland to Cincinnati (326 miles in 2025). He cheered for Michigan at the 2024 Rose Bowl and National Championship Game and continues to make new memories and relish every moment with family.

Tom also became active with PanCAN. After participating in PanCAN PurpleStride with his wife and daughter in 2023, he deepened his involvement in 2024 as advocacy chair for the Cleveland Affiliate and PurpleStride Team Captain for Team Yoder. He gained bipartisan local congressional support for pancreatic cancer funding, and his PurpleStride team ranked among the top five locally the past two years.

As a survivor, Tom admits to feeling some guilt, but also a deep desire to do something meaningful – to fight this devastating disease and provide support, hope and comfort to all those affected. His latest scans in October 2024 showed no evidence of disease. Looking ahead to becoming a great-grandfather in early 2026, Tom shares an enduring message:

“Be an advocate for yourself. Know your body. If something seems wrong, see your physician. Seek second opinions and stay positive.”