The first thing I did was teach a beginners quilting class. I made all my sample blocks in purple because purple is the new color I love to hate.
I love it because it is beautiful.
I hate it because it represents a new chapter in my life, it reminds me of my loss.
Sometime during the fall of 2011, someone put a purple ribbon on my mailbox. It was a sweet gesture, but I hated it. I hated that it represented a cancer that was ushering my mother into heaven entirely too quickly.
Pancreatic Cancer.
In case you didn't know, pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths.
What are the key statistics about pancreatic cancer?
The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for pancreatic cancer in the United States are for 2014:
- About 46,420 people (23,530 men and 22,890 women) will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
- About 39,590 people (20,170 men and 19,420 women) will die of pancreatic cancer
Did you catch that? Nearly every one that is diagnosed with this terrible disease will die within a year. A few lucky ones, that somehow were able to be diagnosed early and have surgery live up to 5 years and because of the work of researchers supported by Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and other foundations fighting for this cause, those people are living longer.
The problem is, there is no early detection tests, no yearly exams to monitor any strange activity in your pancreas. It's usually after it's already spread or if you happen to be going through some other tests that you are diagnosed and 1 in 67 people will be diagnosed.
It took my mom in 6 months.
It wasn't until I was buying a new calendar, standing in the office supply section, that I got mad and knew I had to do something.
Mad because I was wanting something purple to show my support of those fighting pancreatic cancer and all I saw was pink.
Then I started questioning...why doesn't pancreatic cancer get the awareness, support, and funding that breast cancer does. Breast cancer has become a survivable cancer because of awareness and people supporting research and funding.
I want people to see purple and instantly think "pancreatic cancer and how can I help".
So early 2014, I joined the core group of PanCan Nashville as the volunteer chair to help in the events, awareness, and funding through Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, based out of California.
Next month, I will be attending my first training in California along with all the core group members across the country. The organization will be handling all my travel needs and necessities while I'm there for 4 days.
I however, am in need of travel money and it's humbling to tell you that I need help and to ask for help.
We are a simple family with simple incomes, with very little "extra" for splurges like this trip. So I'm really pushing selling my quilts or any of the items that I make to help cover my costs for this trip.
I've listed my quilts on Craigslist, on Facebook, and on my Etsy store. If you see anything you like, please let me know. I've marked the quilts down by $50 on my Etsy store and would be willing discuss any markdowns on other items if you would like to help me on this trip and the prices are too high.
I have a purple quilt for sale, with a purple ribbon and a little girl wearing her purple ribbon. I've embroidered "Faith & Hope" on the quilt.
Faith because through circumstance you have to have faith in God that He is in control, even when circumstances are terrible.
Hope because this life is not where our hope should lie. No matter what happens here, my hope is God and the future He has for me, here on Earth or there in Heaven.
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