Joining the Project Purple Podcast from sunny Venice, Florida, originally from Wisconsin, pancreatic cancer survivor Rhonda Vavrek sits down with host Dino Verrelli to share her remarkable journey through a changing diagnosis and what it truly means to keep going when the road is anything but straight.

Rhonda shares how, in June 2012, what began as upper back pain and jaundice led to a pancreatic cancer diagnosis: something she never expected after a lifetime of good health. Initially staged at 2/2A, she qualified for the Whipple procedure and underwent chemotherapy before surgery. Post-Whipple, however, doctors discovered the cancer had metastasized to her liver and lungs, advancing her to Stage 4 and giving her an estimated six months to live. As she emphasizes, though, “Stage 4 does not mean we give up,” a mantra that carried her forward.

She reflects on the many twists and turns that followed, including FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy, liver ablation, lung and rib surgeries, and more than five surgeries and 50 CT scans in total. Now NED since 2018, Rhonda speaks about what carried her through: an incredible team of doctors, surgeons, and nurses; her deep faith; and the unwavering support of her husband of nearly 45 years, whom she credits with pushing her forward when she wanted to stop. She also opens up about survivor’s guilt, scanxiety, and the importance of truly knowing your body and advocating for yourself.

Rhonda mentions the role humor played in helping her cope, including naming her chemo port “George Clooney,” and why setting goals, giving yourself grace, and tuning out the noise of statistics can make all the difference. Her story is a powerful reminder that while pancreatic cancer is terrifying, the monster she describes it as does not get to take over your life.

Subscribe to the Project Purple Podcast for more stories from the pancreatic cancer community.

To learn more or donate to Project Purple’s mission of a world without pancreatic cancer, please visit www.projectpurple.org.

On this episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli sits down with Andy Lyons, a commercial photographer from the heart of the Midwest, Iowa, as he shares his deeply personal journey with familial pancreatic cancer. With a family history spanning three generations, affecting countless family members, including his grandmother, mother, and brother, Andy has long felt the shadow of this disease.

Diagnosed in 2021 after over two decades of proactive screenings, including ultrasound endoscopies and genetic testing through research studies in Chicago and Pittsburgh, Andy was fortunate to catch his pancreatic cancer early. He reflects on the importance of vigilance and early detection, and how his experience demonstrates the power of knowledge, community, and persistence in managing a disease often considered a death sentence, even when it runs in your family.

Andy shares the emotional and practical aspects of his journey: robotic surgery at UPMC, chemotherapy, the support of caregivers and his community, and the mental resilience that comes from maintaining humor, positivity, and hope. He emphasizes the importance of asking questions, connecting with other patients, and taking control of your health, summarized in the motto: “knowledge is power.”

Through his story, Andy shows that pancreatic cancer is scary, but it’s not invincible. He talks about the strength found in numbers, the hope that comes from proactive care, and even the symbolic meaning of a survivor tattoo and a healing blanket passed among friends as a gesture of solidarity.

You can reach Andy at [email protected].

Subscribe to the Project Purple Podcast for more stories from the pancreatic cancer community.

To learn more or support Project Purple’s mission of a world without pancreatic cancer, visit projectpurple.org.

Joining the Project Purple Podcast from Brownton, Minnesota, home to the land of 10,000 lakes, seven-year pancreatic cancer survivor Rita Krueger sits down with host Dino Verrelli to share her extraordinary story of perseverance, faith, and finding purpose after a life-altering diagnosis.

Rita was diagnosed in March 2018, and soon learned she would need a full pancreatectomy: a life-changing surgery that would require her to adapt to an entirely new way of living. Her recovery was grueling, especially in the early months when eating made her profoundly ill, but Rita describes herself as tenacious. With the help of her unwavering determination, she slowly rebuilt her health and strength, eventually rediscovering normalcy in her daily life.

After a 30-year career in IT, Rita’s journey took a new direction. Following her treatment, she wrote a book, Hope for an Outstanding Outcome, inspired by the many people who told her that her story gave them hope. Wanting to extend that encouragement to others, she founded ritaann.org, where she provides “survival packs” filled with helpful items, including her book, to individuals battling pancreatic cancer. The bags, army green in color, reflect the warrior mentality with which she describes helped her approach her own battle.

Rita also opens up about the importance of faith, positivity, and community. She credits her “tribe,” the solid, supportive people around her, for helping her stay grounded during the hardest moments. Her husband even contributed reflections to each chapter of her book to share the caregiver perspective.

Today, Rita works in her local school district, embracing a role she never imagined for herself. She continues to advocate for hope, connection, and empowerment for those facing pancreatic cancer, and reminds listeners that strength comes not only from physical recovery, but from the people and beliefs that carry you through it.

To learn more about Rita, read her book, or support her mission, visit www.ritaann.org.

Subscribe to the Project Purple Podcast for more stories from the pancreatic cancer community.

To learn more or donate to Project Purple’s mission of a world without pancreatic cancer, please visit www.projectpurple.org.

Tuning in from across the Atlantic, from Cork, Ireland, pancreatic cancer survivor Pamela Deasy joins host Dino Verrelli to offer a unique, international perspective on the realities of the disease, the power of perseverance, and insights for patients, families, and listeners worldwide in this episode of the Project Purple Podcast.

Pamela shares that her journey began in the summer of 2018, when persistent fatigue and subtle symptoms signaled something was wrong. Told she was perimenopausal, or even just depressed, she trusted her instincts and continued advocating for herself. After a series of medical issues, including kidney stones and worsening jaundice, imaging confirmed a tumor in her pancreas. She recalls the moment vividly, initially fearing the worst.

She walks listeners through the challenges of her treatment, including months of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and a life-saving, but very life-altering Whipple procedure. Pamela opens up about the grueling recovery that followed, from severe muscle loss and ascites, to the struggle to regain basic strength and mobility. She describes daily tasks like climbing stairs as ‘Kilimanjaro every day,’ showing the relentless determination required to rebuild her body and her life.

By being open about the intimate sides of her journey, Pamela highlights the fears and vulnerabilities that people living with pancreatic cancer may feel and experience, but hesitate to voice. She discusses the isolation many pancreatic cancer patients feel, but the true importance of having someone to talk to who has “walked in your shoes.”

To ensure everyone has this support, Pamela co-founded Pancreatic Cancer Ireland and advocates passionately for raising awareness, resources, and community for those affected by the disease. With this organization and her own advocacy, Pamela emphasizes that early awareness and support are invaluable, reminding listeners that even in the face of a life-altering diagnosis, resilience and hope can carry you forward.

Follow Pamela on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/me_the_big_c_and_life_after

Subscribe to the Project Purple Podcast for more stories from the pancreatic cancer community.

To learn more or donate to Project Purple’s mission of a world without pancreatic cancer, please visit www.projectpurple.org.

Anne Dirkse is an avid cyclist, endurance athlete, software developer, and lover of all things outdoors from Loveland, Colorado. On this episode of the Project Purple Podcast, she shares the personal philosophies that guide her through her Stage 4 pancreatic cancer journey. Diagnosed in March 2025, Anne draws on a lifetime of physical fitness, nutrition, and resilience to face the challenges of her disease with clarity and agency.

She reflects on how subtle changes in her energy and eating habits prompted her to seek medical care, and how early scans missed the pancreatic mass despite her proactive screenings, highlighting the stealthy and aggressive nature of the disease. Rather than framing her experience as a battle, Anne focuses on what she can control: maintaining her exercise routine, prioritizing nutrition, and breaking daunting challenges into manageable steps.

A lifelong adventurer, Anne shares how long-distance biking, backpacking, and other physical pursuits have shaped her mental and physical resilience. She also emphasizes the crucial role of family, friends, and her medical team in providing support, as well as how connecting with others who have faced pancreatic cancer has given her hope and perspective.

Currently undergoing chemotherapy, Anne encourages listeners to find silver linings in the challenges, pursue what matters most to them, and live fully in the face of uncertainty, guided by the motto: “while we live, let us live.”

You can reach Anne at https://annedirkse.com/

Subscribe to the Project Purple Podcast for more stories from the pancreatic cancer community.

To learn more or support Project Purple’s mission of a world without pancreatic cancer, visit https://www.projectpurple.org/

Jon Fox, a 41-year-old Staten Island native, shares his unique and inspiring journey on this episode of the Project Purple Podcast with host Dino Verrelli. Jon’s story begins unexpectedly at 37, when he was diagnosed with aggressive, metastatic testicular cancer: a diagnosis that would soon lead to the discovery of another, more unexpected health challenge: Stage 1 localized pancreatic cancer.

Jon reflects on how the pancreatic tumor was found almost by accident during testing for his testicular cancer. Facing two serious medical battles at once, he underwent the Whipple procedure and a testicular cancer surgery simultaneously—a grueling combination that demanded resilience, patience, and determination.

He candidly shares the brutal recovery that followed: months of intense complications, acute pancreatitis episodes, digestive struggles, and the ongoing challenge of learning how to live with a body transformed by surgery.

Despite the hardships, Jon has channeled his experience into a passion for understanding the gastrointestinal system and the pancreas. His journey is driven by curiosity and the desire to improve his own quality of life, while helping others who face similar challenges.

He shares critical lessons learned along the way: the importance of patience, giving your body time to heal, understanding nutrition and diet, and adopting a long-term mindset for recovery instead of rushing back to normal life too quickly.

Jon emphasizes that every patient’s journey is unique, encouraging ongoing screenings and self-advocacy. With honesty and humor, he shares practical insights from his own experience, offering guidance for anyone navigating life after a Whipple procedure or dual cancer diagnoses.

Subscribe to the Project Purple Podcast to hear more stories from the pancreatic cancer community. And, if you’d like to learn more about or donate to Project Purple’s mission of a world without pancreatic cancer, please visit https://www.projectpurple.org/.

Danielle Buchanan, a proud Texan, devoted wife, and mother of three boys shares her deeply personal and inspiring journey on this episode of the Project Purple Podcast with host Dino Verrelli. A registered nurse and lifelong picture of health, Danielle reflects on how her life changed suddenly in February 2021, when unusual symptoms after a family Super Bowl celebration led to imaging that revealed a mass on her pancreas. Just 48 hours later, on her 48th birthday, she was diagnosed with Stage 2A pancreatic cancer.

She describes her grueling treatment journey, including chemotherapy, radiation, and the complex Whipple procedure, and how she has fortunately had no evidence of disease since early 2022. Danielle also opens up about her survivor’s guilt, and emphasizes the critical role of hope and community support, from family members who cared for her three boys to the “prayer warriors” who surrounded her.

Danielle reveals that during a difficult period of depression post-treatment, she felt a clear calling from God to return to nursing, but with renewed purpose. Now working full-time as a radiation nurse in an oncology infusion center, she supports patients undergoing chemotherapy, and Danielle shares that she draws from her own journey to offer compassion, insight, and hope.

She smiles as she shares how she is now living life to the fullest and encourages others facing pancreatic cancer that they can, too. Danielle urges everyone to advocate for themselves and to “hold on to hope like it’s your job,” reminding us all that even a difficult diagnosis doesn’t define the life you can live.

Subscribe to the Project Purple Podcast for more stories from the pancreatic cancer community.

To learn more or donate to Project Purple’s mission of a world without pancreatic cancer, please visit www.projectpurple.org.

In this eye-opening episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli has a compelling conversation with Amy Johnston of Pennsylvania, a 34-year-old mother of three young kids, who says that listening to her instincts and advocating for herself made all the difference in her journey with pancreatic cancer.

Amy talks about how just a couple of months ago, she was at her healthiest—working out five days a week, eating better, and feeling strong after having her third child. Then, in January, she says she was suddenly hit with severe GI pain during dinner, and immediately knew something was not right.

She describes how she was continually told by her doctors that it was nothing serious, even after asking several times if the problem was related to her pancreas. Frustrated, Amy shares that she switched doctors and hospitals, which eventually led to the discovery of a 1.7 cm tumor. After a biopsy confirmed pancreatic cancer, she recounts the shock of learning the tumor had actually been visible months earlier, but was missed due to poor imaging and assumptions based on her youth.

Choosing to have surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, Amy shares how she underwent a distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy in May. In early June, she began her 12 rounds of chemotherapy and shares candidly about the challenges of treatment and the importance of staying active and positive despite the fatigue and side effects. She also talks about the comfort she’s found in community support, creative outlets like crocheting, and especially in her growing faith, sharing that she plans to be baptized in a few months.

Her story is a powerful reminder of the importance of advocating for yourself and pushing for answers. Amy stresses, “If I hadn’t switched doctors, I could have thought this was a stomach bug.” She encourages others to focus on the facts of their own situation, connect with others facing similar journeys, and maintain hope throughout.

Tune in for an honest and inspiring episode about resilience, motherhood, and faith in the face of pancreatic cancer.

Subscribe to the Project Purple Podcast for more powerful stories from the pancreatic cancer community.

If you’d like to donate to or support Project Purple’s mission of a world without pancreatic cancer, please visit https://www.projectpurple.org/ and follow us on social media with these links:

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In this extremely motivational episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli speaks with Michael Kennedy of Vermont, a lawyer and avid runner whose 20 years on the roads and trails unexpectedly prepared him for the toughest marathon of his life: pancreatic cancer.

Michael shares how his story began in 2023, a year packed with long runs, two marathons, and a 100‑mile relay. But when back pain crept in after the relay, he brushed it off as age or overtraining. But within weeks, his symptoms escalated: rapid weight loss, changes in digestion, and eventually, a scan soon confirmed what no runner expects to hear: a tumor was on his pancreas.

He recounts how his diagnosis in October 2023 launched him into treatment with the same discipline he’d honed as an athlete. Michael reflects on the months of chemotherapy, the neuropathy that forced him to wear mittens just to grab milk from the fridge, and the exhausting stretch of radiation—all to make surgery possible. In June 2024, he underwent a Whipple procedure with an innovative addition he advocated to have: a cutting‑edge CIVASheet radiation implant that allowed him to avoid post‑surgery chemo.

Michael also describes how, even through treatment, he kept running. Running became a lifeline: “It’s not gonna take the things from me unless it beats ’em out of me,” he says. He explains how discovering Project Purple gave him something to look forward to: a goal of finishing a marathon in the same calendar year as his Whipple surgery. Just months after leaving the hospital, he crossed the finish line of a December marathon in Jacksonville wearing a Project Purple singlet, and has since completed other races with the organization.

In this conversation, Mike opens up about scanxiety, hope, and the power of staying positive. He discusses how his runner’s mindset and experience being a high school basketball coach have taught him that you can do hard things one step at a time, which helped him through chemo and into recovery. And he offers practical advice: know the symptoms, and when life hands you a challenge, focus on WIN: What’s Important Now.

Mike’s story is one of three Ps: positivity, perseverance, and the unexpected ways our passions can prepare us for life’s biggest battles.

You can find Mike on Instagram at: http://instagram.com/mkennedyvt/

Subscribe to the Project Purple Podcast to hear more stories from the pancreatic cancer community.

And, if you’d like to learn more about or donate to Project Purple’s mission of a world without pancreatic cancer, please visit https://www.projectpurple.org/.

In this episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli speaks with Carmen Stewart, a pancreatic cancer survivor from across the globe, calling in all the way from Johannesburg, South Africa. Her story is one of perseverance, clarity, and transformation in the face of staggering odds.

Carmen opens up about her whirlwind diagnosis in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, which followed months of persistent pain, varying symptoms, and repeated misdiagnoses, from gastroenteritis and hepatitis. She talks about how she pushed for surgery before lockdown hit in her country, against her doctor’s initial plan, and how she underwent a Whipple procedure alone, with no support system allowed into the hospital due to pandemic restrictions.

She goes into detail about her surgery, saying her surgeon called it a “miracle,” as her tumor had been capped and fully contained, preventing the cancer from spreading. Carmen explains her recovery wasn’t easy—it was complicated by sepsis, delays in chemotherapy, a contraction of COVID-19, and the emotional toll of isolation. Still, she forged ahead, adding that it was the help of natural therapies, the love of and from her daughters, and an unwavering will to survive that kept her going.

Carmen speaks candidly about survivor’s guilt and the reality of life after treatment, which changed drastically for her in many ways. Her perspective is grounded in realism: “If it comes back, I’ll deal with it. But if I’m clear, that’s great.” She discusses how her experience reshaped her life—from managing her health and finishing her degree, to letting go of fear and finding joy in the present.

Her message is clear: trust your instincts, choose the right medical team, and don’t ignore what your body is telling you. Tune in to hear Carmen’s candid conversation about navigating illness during a global crisis, rebuilding after the trauma that comes with this disease, and finding meaning in survival.

Subscribe to the Project Purple Podcast to hear more stories from the pancreatic cancer community.

To learn more or donate to Project Purple’s mission of a world without pancreatic cancer, please visit https://www.projectpurple.org/.