Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers in the United States. The five-year cure rate hovers around five percent. To raise awareness and encourage early detection of this disease, the Cinnaminson Student Council has teamed with the DeSean Jackson Foundation and the Pirates football team to host a Purple Out game on Friday, October 30.
Burlington City is the opponent and kickoff is slated for 7pm as the Pirates return from their bye week. Everyone who attends Friday night’s game is encouraged to wear something purple.
Students can purchase purple leis, bandanas and beads at $2 apiece during their lunch periods that they can wear to the game on Friday night.
The DeSean Jackson foundation was created to honor DeSean’s father, Bill, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2009.
“What we were trying to do, because we went through this experience without any kind of knowledge, was help others learn about the cancer and what it takes to treat it,” foundation president Gayle Jackson said. “People don’t really talk about pancreatic cancer. There’s a few movements behind breast cancer that we’d love to have behind pancreatic cancer one day. We’re just trying to make some noise about pancreatic cancer. We want people to talk about it and learn about it.”
“We started with a small school in Michigan. Andrew G. Schmidt Middle School in Fenton. They reached out to us. They asked us how they could help and we brainstormed to create the Purple Out concept. This is their second year. Now they are doing the high school and the elementary school.”
The Purple Out effort is being led by the high school student council and advisor Michele Iaconelli.
“This is an incredible honor to bring awareness at a local level for this horrible disease and to be able to team up with the DeSean Jackson Foundation once again.”
The school previously teamed with the foundation during an anti-bullying campaign.
“We’re really excited in this endeavor with Cinnaminson,” Gayle said. “We’ve worked with them in the past. We’re excited to see where all this is going. Who knows; maybe someone from Cinnaminson High School can come up with the cure for pancreatic cancer someday.”
The Cinnaminson High School cheerleaders will be sporting purple bows, the football players will wear purple sweat bands on their wrists and the band will wear purple leis. Members of student council will be in the stands wearing purple as well.
Dawn Seagraves, an employee at Cinnaminson High School, helped get the ball rolling with the Purple Out campaign. Dawn’s husband, Tom, was diagnosed in August of 2012 with Stage 3 inoperable pancreatic cancer.
Tom went through aggressive chemotherapy treatments and radiation. Tom eventually had surgery during his battle because the tumor was shrinking. The tumor was removed along with three-quarters of his pancreas and his spleen. Tom is now considered cancer-free, but not yet cured, as he has not reached the five-year mark.
When originally meeting with the surgical oncologist at Fox Chase, Tom was told to close out his 401(k) and live what life he would have left to the fullest. The tumor at the time was the size of a baseball and deemed inoperable.
“I was a nervous wreck and panicked that I was going to lose my husband,” Dawn said. “You go online and you find that pancreatic cancer survival rates are very low, five percent in five years. I started to reach out to organizations for support, but they weren’t very helpful. I didn’t find a personal touch with them.”
Gayle also mentioned the lack of personal touch during the battle.
“Another focus of our foundation, and how we came in contact with Dawn and Tom, is that there’s no personal touch. When you’re in this battle, you feel like you’re in it alone. It is a very terrifying experience and a lonely one because everyone looks at the caretaker to be a pillar of strength. It’s very hard to watch. It’s very draining.”
In a conversation with her husband, Tom mentioned to Dawn (a Cowboys fan) that DeSean had a pancreatic cancer foundation.
“My husband is an Eagles fan. He said that DeSean Jackson’s father had passed away from pancreatic cancer and that DeSean had a foundation,” Dawn said.
“I messaged DeSean on Twitter and explained our situation. I asked if he could contact me to talk about pancreatic cancer. DeSean passed the information to his mother, Gayle. Gayle contacted me, and from then on we have talked on the phone, exchanged emails, texted each other and she has been very helpful talking me through things. She has helped keep me positive and focused.”
Dawn expressed her sincere gratitude to the Cinnaminson school district for their efforts in the purple out campaign.
“Mrs. Darlene Llewellyn, the principal at the high school, said the school would get it done. They said it would be done at the football game on October 30 and they had someone to spearhead it in Michele Iaconelli.”
“We are hoping for a huge turnout in support of our school, the football team for doing this and for pancreatic cancer. It’s really, really exciting.”
Dawn also thanked the Cinnaminson community for the support her family has received since Tom was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
“Our community and school system were wonderful through the whole thing with my husband. They did a fundraiser to help us with medical bills, our bills, brought us food. Our community and our school system are just phenomenal when it comes to anything. They’re always there for people who need them. We have a wonderful community base.”
Kickoff on Friday, October 30 against Burlington City is scheduled for 7pm. Please wear a purple item in support of pancreatic cancer awareness.
