The funds will support pancreatic cancer research and honor Heather Cutler’s memory through a dedicated research grant.

ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, CANADA, October 22, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Heather Cutler Foundation is proud to announce that Team Heather has donated $10,000 to Craig’s Cause Pancreatic Cancer Society, celebrating the life and legacy of Heather Cutler. Heather passed away peacefully on May 4, 2024, surrounded by her family and her beloved Shiba Inu, Yuki, following a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

The funds were raised leading up to the Kicking PancreAS 2024 fundraiser, an annual 5K walk or run supporting Craig’s Cause initiatives aimed at improving pancreatic cancer care and support. In Newfoundland, the route takes participants around Quidi Vidi Lake one and a half times. This year’s event held special meaning for Team Heather, as Heather had hoped to join the walk herself despite her illness.

“It’s important to know that my mom was really set on attending the walk this year,” said Christopher Cutler, founder of The Heather Cutler Foundation. “It just felt different this time. In the past, we walked filled with hope. But joining without her has been overwhelming. The hope I still have left is that in the future, patients diagnosed with this disease will have a fighting chance.”

The event was especially moving for the Cutler family, as friends, family, and coworkers came together to participate and donate in Heather’s memory. “It’s been so warming to see so many of her friends, family, and colleagues turn up for the event and donate this year. It’s a true testament to the impact she had on so many lives,” Christopher added.

Heather’s daughter, Bethany, spoke to participants at the event, sharing the loss of her mother and imploring that much work remains to be done in the fight against pancreatic cancer. She delivered a defining statement, saying: “We need more research, we need more advocacy, and we need more solutions—and Craig’s Cause is working towards that.”

Bethany also reflected on the support her family received during Heather’s cancer journey: “Their weekly Zoom meetings were such a lifeline for us as a family, and for my mom. We watched her help others even as she moved through her own illness. She grew from someone who was ‘too emotional to speak’ to leading conversations, sharing experiences, and finding peers through those online sessions. We are forever grateful to Craig’s Cause for the community they’ve built—the club no one asked to be a part of, but one that became essential for us.”

Following Bethany’s remarks, Craig’s Cause announced that, in recognition of the significant amount raised by Team Heather, they would be awarding a research grant in Heather’s name. The details of the grant will be shared with the Cutler family in the coming months . We do know, however the grant is being awarded to a researcher based in Eastern-Canada and Heather's name will be recognized on all publications and presentations connected to the research.

In accordance with Heather’s wishes, donations were made to Craig’s Cause in her name instead of flowers.
The $10,000 raised by Team Heather has now been donated to support Craig’s Cause’s initiatives, including research, patient support, and public education.

The Heather Cutler Foundation, founded earlier this year to continue Heather’s work and advocate for systemic change in cancer care, remains committed to closing gaps in pancreatic cancer treatment and improving survival outcomes for future patients.

Team Heather returns tentatively for year three of Kicking PancreAS this June at Quidi Vidi Boathouse in St. John’s, Newfoundland this June.

For more information about the foundation’s work or to get involved, please visit www.heathercutler.ca.


Note from Editor:

High-resolution images of Team Heather at Quidi Vidi available upon request.

Christopher Cutler
The Heather Cutler Foundation
+1 647-221-6247
press@heathercutler.ca
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