Linda Kowalski
I’ve spent the better part of my life trying to eat right, exercise, get enough sleep and reduce stress. I love running and, since my twenties, have finished 24 Marathons and 75 triathlons, including the Iron Man Triathlon. In addition, I am an avid golfer.
Early this year, I started feeling tired and was experiencing a loss of appetite. After a few weeks I went to see my PCP. Then came a bunch of tests with the results: I had pancreatic cancer.
Interminable web searches followed as I researched to learn as much as I could about the disease. My family and friends have been invaluable support. I have a team of skilled medical professionals who are helping me through this very difficult journey.
I cannot say enough about the outstanding care that I have received from one of my physicians, Dr. Eileen O’Reilly, as well as the nurses and staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK). I have been going through chemotherapy treatments with the goal of having surgery to remove the tumor.
Meanwhile, MSK has developed a new Phase 2 Clinical Trial that shows great promise for treating pancreatic cancer. It involves using a customized mRNA vaccine, unique to the patient, that alerts the immune system that cancer cells are foreign. The T cells can then overwhelm them. This is worth investigating, and it will help many patients in the future as the results are observed. MSK needs financial support to staff and to implement this Phase 2 Clinical Trial.
The funds will enable MSK to retain skilled residents who will work on the trial and keep track of all participants to determine what kind of difference it makes. I hope you will consider donating to this Phase 2 Clinical Trial. This will help pancreatic cancer patients with life-saving personalized treatments.
Please click on the link below to see the exciting good work that they are doing:
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