Local Family Headed to DC to Lobby for Pancreatic Cancer Research Funding

While most of us were scrambling around this week to plan something for Fathers Day, Acton resident Alison Takacs and her two daughters, Rosemary (12-years-old) and Grace (11-years-old), were scrambling around Capital Hill in Washington DC to advocate a Bill that would bring updated research for pancreatic cancer. What sprung this upon the Takacs family was when their father/husband, Jim, passed away from pancreatic cancer a few years back.

Jim was 47-years-old when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (in 2008) and passed away 6 months later.

Alison and her daughters joined forces with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Annual Advocacy Day, where 600 people across the US meet with members from Congress to encourage them to pass the Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act.

According to Michele Wood, a volunteer for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 75 percent of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within the first year of diagnosis.

“It is the most under-funded, under-recognized and least-studied of all major cancer killers with only two percent of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) annual budget dedicated to pancreatic cancer research,” said Wood. “Perhaps what is most alarming is the number of new pancreatic cancer cases and the number of deaths caused by the disease are both increasing at a time when many other cancers are seeing a decline in both figures. The expected number of new pancreatic cancer cases is projected to increase by 55% between the years 2010 and 2030.”

The Takacs family and 600 other US citizens headed to Washington DC earlier this week to receive educational training about the disease so that when they met with their state representatives they could intelligently urge them to pass the Bill.

“It was so important for us to have our Congressmen make sure they understood that cancer research funding is not cut at the federal level because in these tough budgetary times everything is in jeopardy to be cut and within the next several months a decision is going to be made,” said Takacs. “Obviously we would like to see them increase the funding but at the very least they cannot cut cancer research funding. They want to know what their contingents care about and we are coming from all places in America just to say, ‘hey we are in your district, this is what is important to us, this is why it is important and to let them know we care,’ and I think it is important that we are putting a face on this issue.”

According to Takacs, they met with legislative aids from Sen. John Kerry’s office, Sen. Scott Brown’s office and Congresswoman Niki Tsongas office and talked to them about the Bill. Takacs also mentioned that Kerry and Tsongas have signed off on the Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act.

Alison’s daughters have made significant contributions to help spread awareness of pancreatic cancer since their father passed away. Both daughters have asked their friends and families to donate money to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in lieu of birthday presents and Rosemary’s 7^th grade class raised over $1,5000 this year for the organization.

Interestingly enough, this year’s event coincided with Fathers Day weekend. When Alison was asked how her and her daughters were going to do to celebrate Fathers Day (as if they haven’t done enough by going to Washington DC), Alison said that she would like to do something the 4 of them enjoyed doing together – which is sitting poolside - and what a great day for it.