Brookline Survivor to Walk in PurpleStride Pittsburgh

When Elizabeth Lopez and her family first participated in PurpleStride Pittsburgh three years ago, she was in a wheelchair.

But the 77-year-old Brookline resident-a pancreatic cancer survivor-was able to walk a mile under her own power last year, and hopes to do it again on Sunday.

“I am only able to do a mile, but I am able to do that,” Lopez said. “If it wasn’t for my family and friends, I don’t think I would have survived. They were with me from day one and they still are.”

PurpleStride Pittsburgh will be hosted by the Pittsburgh affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network this Sunday, Aug. 5.

The 5K run and walk will be held in North Park at the North Park Swimming Pool Lot. Registration is at 8 a.m. and the run begins at 9:30 a.m.

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is a national organization dedicated to supporting pancreatic cancer research and providing community outreach, advocacy and patient support. The organization’s goal is to double the survival rate of pancreatic cancer by 2020. More information can be found on the organization's website.

Lopez said she’s glad people are beginning to learn more about pancreatic cancer, but that there still isn’t enough awareness about the illness.

According to the American Cancer Society, 74 percent of pancreatic cancer patients die within the first year of diagnosis, and the five-year survival rate is a six percent. There are no early diagnostic tools, and few effective treatment options.

Lopez was diagnosed with stage-one pancreatic cancer four years ago after a routine exam for the treatment of her acid reflux disease, which she’s had for most of her life. She told her doctor she’d been having some unusual stomach pain, and she said he had the foresight to have her tested immediately.

Now cancer free, Lopez said participating in the walk allows her to talk to people who are dealing with the same issues she overcame, and it allows her family to comfort their families.

“Unfortunately, there are a lot of much younger people who are less fortunate than I am,” she said. “It means a lot to be there with the other survivors and the people who are there in memory of someone.”

Lopez said she hopes to start a support group so that people who are dealing with the illness can talk to other going through the same thing.

“When this happened to me, I had my family but I didn’t know anyone who went through this that I could actually talk to,” she said. “I often thought that if I had known someone it might have been comforting. I could talk to people now and inspire them in some way.”

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