Picture Your World Purple- Pancreatic Cancer Awareness

[mollie]

I read on the web-US site that today November 15 is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day! Is there anyone out there interested in getting some momentum going to gather here and raise awareness. How about we choose a purple flower to make our own? My vote is Agapanthus- they always look cheerful to me and we always had them on the table at Christmas when we were kids. Mum and Dad's favourite.Let us have votes and suggestions!! We can do this together!!

[margro]

I think it's a great idea,Mollie.I have already set my plan for public awareness in place.....I plan on taking part in next years city to surf in Sydney!!Hopefully I will be able to get some sponsorship and maybe it will help people realise there is hope and raise a bit of public awareness!!! I have already started training but I figure I'm going to need a heck of a lot more! What about lavender? How's Dad? Margro

[Jan]

I wouldn't be suprised if the US already has a flower picked out too. I am not fussy about which flower they are all lovely tho pansies are my favourite. I would like to know who picks the colour for all the charities, I think that would be a great job! Nov 15 2008 is a Saturday and I think we should all think about getting together and meeting! We can all wear purple! We could pick somewhere central in Sydney. What are your thoughts? Keep smiling Jan

[mikey]

I did a bit of research and seems the whole month of November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month. The purple iris seems to be the flower people in the US have chosen as the symbol, but I think any purple flower or anything purple would show support.I think it's great that you're already thinking of planning something for next year.

[tanyas]

Hi ladies, just wondering if you guys managed to do anything for PC awareness month last year? I feel really, really strongly about the lack of awareness about this disease as if we had known more maybe Mum would still be with us today... hugh sigh.... Like other types of cancer that have made such fantastic inroads in terms of awareness and research it really needs to start from a fairly high level in order to really kick things off, I would have thought with the spate of high profile people getting or passing on from PC recently (think Pavarotti etc) there may have been some leverage but does not seem to be the case, it's frustrating but to make an awareness month really work we'd need buy in from the powers that be - that's not to say we can't all do something ourselves out there in our communities! I'll shut it now, I think I'm writing this mainly for myself anyway 🙂  

[mikey]

Hi Tanya, you're definately not writing only for yourself. I'm reading for one I'm not so sure the momentum was there last year, but to my mind now is the time to start thinking about it for 2008.

[tanyas]

thanks Mikey, you're sweet. yep true re 08. I just have a good idea of the $$ behind the likes of pink ribbon and as PC is considered "rare" (it seems everyone knows someone who has had it though so I don't know what that actually means) despite it's poor long-term prospects for most sufferers (NB - not all, I have read lots of positive stories of survival) no-one really seems to own it or push the agenda. I know there is some ground swell in this area (I sat in on meetings late last year held at the Garvan with a host of reps incl The CC involved) but nothing concrete, quite frustrating but I guess these things take time just hope it's not years ...  

[mikey]

I hear what you're saying Tanya. And I think a lot of people share your frustrations. I reckon you'll find that big successful events like pink ribbon day all started from groundswell actions once upon a time.

[margro]

Tanya hi, I think we need to get more people on line sharing ideas etc.Isn't there a line in a song 'from little things big things grow'? Being one of the few survivors around,I am in total agreement about getting the message out there

[#10]

Quote: Hi ladies, just wondering if you guys managed to do anything for PC awareness month last year? I feel really, really strongly about the lack of awareness about this disease as if we had known more maybe Mum would still be with us today... hugh sigh.... Like other types of cancer that have made such fantastic inroads in terms of awareness and research it really needs to start from a fairly high level in order to really kick things off, I would have thought with the spate of high profile people getting or passing on from PC recently (think Pavarotti etc) there may have been some leverage but does not seem to be the case, it's frustrating but to make an awareness month really work we'd need buy in from the powers that be - that's not to say we can't all do something ourselves out there in our communities! I'll shut it now, I think I'm writing this mainly for myself anyway 🙂   --------This is a general call to all those people out there with great ideas...please share them with us. While we are working hard at here at The Cancer Council NSW and The NSW Pancreatic Cancer Network, we need support. Have you got a great 'purple' idea for the City2Surf SPRING UP AGAINST PANCREATIC CANCER Team. Share it with us, jump online. The world is watching Pancreatic cancer is a cause worth supporting