American singer/songwriter Erin Willett with Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Gibraltar Founder Louis Baldachino. Willett traveled to Gibraltar in November 2018 to perform her popular song, “Hope’s Alive,” during the organization’s “Purple Light” event.

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Gibraltar Charitable Trust was founded in February 2018 with a focus on raising awareness about pancreatic cancer among the public, general practitioners and other medical institutes in Gibraltar, as well as supporting survivors and those fighting the disease.

The organization set out to create an ongoing and ambitious program of events and projects, called “Purple Impact.” Its goal for these events and projects is to be effective in raising awareness and dialogue with doctors and patients — therefore, it always involves Gibraltar Health Authority’s (GHA’s) medical professionals; cancer sufferers; management, nurses and volunteers of Cancer Relief Centre Gibraltar (CRC); and members of other local cancer charities.

Founder Louis Baldachino, a pancreatic cancer survivor, said he was proud of garnering the involvement of each of these groups in the organization’s events.

Upcoming events for the remainder of the year include:

• As a follow-up to last year’s visit to Gibraltar by Pancreatic Cancer Action UK’s CEO Ali Stunt, the GHA has agreed for her return to discuss progress in the introduction of GHA’s new pathways.
• As part of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in November and World Pancreatic Cancer Day Nov. 21, 2019, a special “Purple Light” event will light purple an iconic castle fortress in Gibraltar. Speakers will also be present for this year’s event.

Baldachino said, “We are looking forward to working with the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition throughout this year and importantly, making World Pancreatic Cancer Day 2019 the most successful one yet in creating an impact in our community.”