In April 2013, Pattie was diagnosed with Stage 4 High Grade Appendiceal Mucinous Adenocarcinoma—a cancer so rare that fewer than 1,000 people are diagnosed annually.
Since the time of Pattie’s diagnosis, her family and friends have rallied—caring for her and her family, making dinners, transporting children, providing shoulders and hugs and wanting to do more. And so, the P Strong Fund was born. The purpose of the P Strong Fund is to provide funding through the Atrium Health Foundation to support the research and treatment of rare and unusual cancers.
You are invited to join the P Strong Fund—and unmask the causes of rare and unusual cancers.
What: Bal Masqué
When: March 28th, 2014
Where: Marriott City Center, Charlotte, NC
Bal Masqué is the inaugural, showcase fundraising event of the P Strong Fund. Dedicated to the thousands of people diagnosed with rare and usual cancers and created to provide the much needed funding to research these illnesses and the necessary treatments.
Join us for an evening of food, music and inspiration for guests whose passion for this cause is unmatched.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for business, organization and individuals looking to make a difference for this cause.
The following excerpt from Pattie’s earlier blog post (on www.pstrong.org) conveys her generous spirit and optimism as she reflects on her own journey.
“I am very aware of giving back like I’ve always done, but on a bigger, more meaningful and sincere scale. I’ve always helped others, but after being on the other side of needing for so long, it is clear to me that helping others is just a great thing to do.
In my ‘spare’ time, I set up an Appendix Cancer Support group, attended my first meeting with the representatives at Atrium Health Foundation, and started writing a book about my journey. The fact that my friends had the vision when I couldn’t to form the PStrong Fund just inspires me to want to help. To help people with these awful cancers. To raise awareness through my story so that a footprint may be left behind someday that tells the world I was here.
It got me thinking about the signs I see on the highways, interstates or ramps/bridges named after someone. But really…how many of us take the time to research that person and their mission or what happened to them? Most of these “recognitions” happen posthumously. There is nothing wrong with that I suppose, but it’s so much better to effect and support change while you are alive, especially while you are healthy. I’m guessing most of you are already involved in many causes that you feel strongly about. Either you, a close friend, or someone close to you feels just as passionately about ”their cause”….you can’t escape it.
“I’m taking an On-Line Moralities of Everyday Life course through Yale right now and it’s helping me relearn how to use my brain. The fog is lifting a bit, thank goodness. I thought I’d never be rid of chemo brain! Because of the nature of the content of the course, lots of thoughts and questions revolve around empathy, sympathy and the need to help those around you in crisis. It’s interesting. Especially now that I’ve lived through something where I had to rely on the goodness of those around me. My grateful heart is overflowing with love and I am going to do my very best to pay what I have received forward. Thank you to all of you for everything you have done for me. You will never truly know that your support helped me through a very trying, emotionally scarring journey.”
You may read the rest of Pattie’s latest blog post on www.pstrong.org.