NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Pancreatic cancer has a survival rate of 13%. With that statistic, a local activist, who lost her mother to pancreatic cancer, is now taking strides to raise awareness to help fight cancer.
“In August of 2022, my mother lost her battle to pancreatic cancer. My mother was diagnosed in June of 2022, and then, by August 2022, she lost her battle,” said Marquesa Murray.
For Murray, losing her mother, Zula, happened all too quickly.
“She was still working as a teacher at the time, and just to see the progression was so swift,” she said.
Her mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. That is among the top three cancers which cause death, and the five-year survival rate is 13%.
“I don’t want another family to experience that. So, I’m big on awareness in our communities,” said Murray.
Murray is part of an organization called Pan Can, also known as the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
“We do funding, the research, and one of the things that sets Pan Can apart is that we have a line you can call into your assigned case manager, and that case manager stays with you through your pancreatic journey,” she said.
Murray feels they can raise more awareness through events like the upcoming annual Purple Stride walk.
“To say only 18% know about pancreatic cancer, we definitely have to do better than that,” said Murray.
The local Purple Stride walk will take place at Highland Park in Baton Rouge on Saturday, April 27. For more information, visit the Pan Can Purple Stride website.
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