We sat down with Laurie to ask her a few questions about her journey.

Q: You have an inspiring story. What is your inspiration and message to other pancreatic cancer patients?

My message to others includes:

Believe in yourself.

Accept as long as it takes.

Know this is a chapter in your life, not the whole story.

Celebrate even the smallest achievements.

Practice gratitude.

Live each day as if this is all there is.

Q: You are an advocate for raising awareness about pancreatic cancer, the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. What do you want people to know and do?

Listen to your body.

Know the symptoms for pancreatic cancer.

Use your voice, be your own advocate.

Don’t be afraid to get second or third opinions.

To move the needle forward in improving survival rates, it is critical we fund research.

Q: You coach cancer patients and care givers. What is the top advice you give them?

You don’t have to do this alone, ask for help.

Get a plan in place and know this will be fluid.

Be pathological about your record keeping.

Don’t play the “what if” game.  Trust your team and accept “as long as it takes.”

Accept the new normal and believe in yourself.

Tomorrow is another day.

Mindset is key. We can’t control events rather we can control our emotions/reactions.

Q: You are on the board of PRECEDE. Why is PRECEDE important to you?

Having received the deadly diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and a prediction of 3-6 months to live, I know the fear patients and families experience.  I also know the alarming rate of deaths caused by this disease, the third leading cause of cancer deaths

I am passionate about moving the needle forward and improving survival rates. Having known and worked with Dr. Diane Simeone over the past 14 years, I am a huge fan and believer in her extraordinary talent and leadership. As an internationally recognized surgeon and scientist, Diane has established a first-of-its-kind program for early detection and prevention for pancreatic cancer.

With over 35 leading academic medical centers across the globe, this is a multi-institutional collaborative group of experts leading the way to increase pancreatic cancer survival rates using longitudinal clinical data and biospecimen acquisition and tracking.

We have the unique opportunity to make a positive impact in the devastating stats by re-imagining how we detect, treat and prevent pancreatic cancer in our lifetime. And with the commitment of REALM, Ambry and Invicro, we will make this happen!

Q: Why is genetic testing important for cancer detection and treatment?

It stands to reason that the earlier you diagnose cancer, the better chance you have to cure it.  We have seen this with other diseases. The only way we are going to improve survival rates for this deadly disease is prevention and early detection.

Q: What is your message to Ambry, Invicro and REALM employees?

You stand out in a competitive field that is working toward eliminating pancreatic cancer through early detection, research and advanced treatments.

Your participation in this important mission will make the difference in developing new treatment paradigms to markedly delay or prevent the formation of pancreatic cancer in high-risk individuals. How great it will be to improve the 5-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer from the current 11% to 50% within the next 10 years. Your expertise and commitment will help us succeed!

Q: What else should we know about you?

I am honored to be part of the solution towards eliminating pancreatic cancer through early detection, research and advanced treatments. There are many silver linings to this challenging journey and having the opportunity to meet all of you is definitely one of them! Learning about your expertise and desire to make a difference is why I am committed to patient advocacy.

I am a new resident of Dallas, TX. Now, if you had a way to improve the Dallas weather, that would be icing on the cake!