Caitlin chose hope: Her dad’s experience with pancreatic cancer

If you ask Caitlin about her dad, Robert, you’ll see a huge smile spread across her face. She describes him as her “favorite person in the whole world.” Throughout her childhood, he always supported her interests, from driving her to every early morning hockey practice (rain, shine or snow), to instilling a lifelong love of reading that she would carry into her career as an editor. When he started taking her to baseball games, it became a tradition they would carry on for years to come.

For Robert, his love of baseball was deep. He loved watching games at home or bringing his family to root for his favorite team, the Boston Red Sox. But his favorite thing about baseball was that it is a sport that anyone can play. He always said, “all you need is a stick and a patch of dirt.”

A difficult diagnosis

In 2012, Robert went to the hospital with stomach pain. Doctors saw that he was also experiencing yellowing of his skin, known as jaundice. Seeing these symptoms together, doctors ordered tests, which revealed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer known to have poor outcomes.

Caitlin recalls she was in her final year at college when doctors told her mom that her father would be “lucky to see Christmas” and that the family needed to “settle his affairs.” When she first heard the prognosis, Caitlin thought, “that is not possible. My dad has to be at my graduation in May – he needs more time than that.” She knew that her family would fight for more time.

Choosing more time

Armed with optimism, the family decided to seek out care to extend their time together. They met with an oncologist who proposed a treatment plan. After consideration of the risks and benefits, they decided to move forward with the plan. Caitlin describes the feeling as, “we went from having no time at all to having more time and more hope.”

In 2013, Caitlin’s dad got a clean scan. Describing this moment, Caitlin beams with joy knowing her dad would be able to attend her graduation – a huge milestone in her life. However, four and a half years after his diagnosis, Robert started to have trouble walking. The cancer had spread and doctors predicted he would only have one week to live. But, once again defying the odds, the family had five and a half more weeks together. They continued to make the most of each moment, including baseball opening day together in the living room, when Caitlin decorated with balloons. It’s a core memory Caitlin will forever hold close to her heart.

Honoring her dad’s memory

Instead of focusing on the time she didn’t have, Caitlin focuses on the memories she made with her dad. She is now a volunteer advocate for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), an advocacy organization dedicated to supporting people impacted by pancreatic cancer.

Caitlin also carries with her the sage advice from her father “Life is just going to keep throwing things at you. So, pick up a bat, and hit back. Keep swinging.” 

If you or someone you know is impacted by pancreatic cancer, visit panCAN.org for resources.

Caitlin was compensated for her time by Ipsen.

NON-US-003911. November 2024.