Pancreatic cancer is often called the "Silent Killer" because the voices of those diagnosed with the disease are quickly silenced by this deadly cancer. One Dallas teen is using his own voice to help highlight this growing epidemic, hoping to inspire others to give on North Texas Giving Day Sept. 18, a day when their donation can be even louder than ever.
Jordan Lebowitz, 14, an 8th grader at Greenhill School and a resident of Preston Hollow in Dallas, was happy to contribute a song whose lyrics and music he penned to Sandler-Kenner Foundation, in honor of a cousin he never knew who died from pancreatic cancer. Jordan has been writing and singing for five years. He contributed an original work, his song, "Dark Days," to the non-profit for use in a video inspired by North Texas Giving Day.
"They heard my song through a friend and asked if they could use it in their video," Jordan said. "That means a lot to me because I have a family member who died from pancreatic cancer. If my music inspires others to give, that would make me very happy."
The Sandler-Kenner Foundation created the video, http://www.helpfightpancreaticcancer.org/event.html, to educate on the devastating effects of pancreatic cancer and inspire others to give to help fund research into early detection and treatment. Brad Dale of Dallas Audio Post helped Jordan cut the song in-studio, and Fill In The Blank created the motion graphics and final editing for the video, which was conceived and produced by Matthew Thompson of CRx Health Marketing.
Sandler-Kenner Foundation is asking DFW to give to its mission on Sept. 18 -- North Texas Giving Day -- a day when donations made to a non-profit can go even farther with extra support from matching funds. On Sept. 18, log in and give online to the Sandler-Kenner Foundation.
"North Texas Giving Day gives every one of us the opportunity to give back and, in exchange, have a front-row seat to the new reality that can be made with just a donation. For those who choose to support the work of Sandler Kenner Foundation in finding early screening methods for pancreatic cancer -- one of the deadliest cancers to plague mankind -- they are essentially sitting in the exam room as a doctor tells a patient, 'We caught it early,' rather than, 'I'm sorry -- I wish we had known,'" said Gregory A. Echt, M.D., radiation oncologist and co-founder of Sandler Kenner Foundation.
Sandler-Kenner Foundation is working to support a specific, first-of-its-kind study that has the potential to define a strategy for early detection of pancreatic cancer in patients with new-onset of diabetes over age 50, a high-risk patient population. The study, titled the Examination of the Pancreas in New Diabetes (EXPAND) Trial, utilizes 15 years of research of the relationship between diabetes and pancreatic cancer through data from the Rochester Epidemiological Project and research on thousands of patients with pancreatic cancer.
Clinicians agree that it is of paramount importance to find and diagnose pancreatic cancer early to increase the patient’s ability to survive it – but currently, good screening methods to find this deadly killer are lacking. Pancreatic cancer is a disease often called the “silent killer” because it leaves few survivors. Pancreatic cancer survivability has not improved in 50 years: this year alone, 44,000 people will be diagnosed with it, and 39,000 people will die from this deadly disease. Learn more about pancreatic cancer or help support the efforts of this Dallas-based non-profit by visiting www.helpfighpancreaticcancer.org.
"Having more time with him would have meant everything," said Zach Stevens of Dallas, of his grandfather, Ronald Coleman McGhee, who died in 2000 from pancreatic cancer. "My family would have given anything to have more time with Papa. I'm speaking for my grandpa, who can no longer speak for himself."
Jordan Lebowitz will also be singing his song, "Dark Days," at an event hosted by the Wine Poste on Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. The event, which is free and by invitation only (RSVP to randi.jacobs@att.net, please), will feature food from Bolsa and a time to give to help fund the work of the foundation. The Wine Poste is located at 2001 Irving Blvd. #145 in Dallas.
The Sandler-Kenner Foundation, established in 2007 as the Las Colinas Cancer Center Foundation, was renamed in early 2011 in the memory of Michael Sandler and Peter Kenner, both of whom passed away from pancreatic cancer. The Sandler-Kenner Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. All donations made to Sandler-Kenner Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Learn more at www.HelpFightPancreaticCancer.org.
The Sandler-Kenner Foundation’s medical and scientific funding decisions are guided in part by its Scientific Advisory Board members Dr. Suresh Chari of Mayo Clinic; Dr. Gregory A. Echt, F.A.C.R.O., Founder of Choice Cancer Care, and physician Las Colinas Cancer Center, PET/CT Center of Las Colinas, North Texas Cancer Center at Wise County and Prostate Seed Institute; Dr. Vay Liang W. Go Professor of Medicine, Division of Digestive Diseases at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Director, UCLA Center for Excellence in Pancreatic Diseases; Dr. David Klimstra of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; and Dr. Richard Warner of Mount Sinai Medical School of Medicine.