***Update*** On October 7, I am walking the Portland Half Marathon. 

Thank you for visiting my Personal Fundraising Page. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to make a contribution to my fundraising efforts.

At 88 years old, my dad, Val Hempel, had a sharp mind - kept that way by daily email including the Danish newspaper from his original home land, reading a plethora of books and participating in lively discussions on current affairs. He drove his bright red Volvo station wagon to run errands, walked every day in Toro Park or Alisomar Beach on the Monterey Peninsula, and did projects around the house. Three months before his 89th birthday, he was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. Four months after being diagnosed, the cancer won.

I am raising money to fight pancreatic cancer not only because I have been impacted by it personally, but because it is the most lethal cancer – overall survival rate is 6%. Over 75% of people with pancreatic cancer will die within the first year of diagnosis. But it has the lowest funding – research constitutes less than 2% of the National Cancer Institute’s budget.

Like me, you may have been affected by this cancer – a family member, friend, co-worker. Or you are aware of the celebrities who have lost their life to this disease – Michael Landon, Patrick Swayzee and Steve Jobs. A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is a death sentence. There is no cure – unless cancer is surgically removed in its earliest stages. But there is no early test – Less than 20% of those diagnosed are eligible for surgery. Scariest of all is that it’s on the rise – the number of new diagnosis and as a result, deaths, is increasing; not decreasing. New cases are expected to increase by 55% between 2010 and 2030.

So I am raising money to fight this cancer through the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network - a nationwide network of people dedicated to working together to advance research, support patients and create hope for those affected by pancreatic cancer. All gifts made through this site are unrestricted and will be used to further that mission. Click on the “Nonprofit” tab for more information.

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too.

Jodi Hempel