August 2018 NIPanC launch at The Mater Hospital Belfast attended by Jamie Dornan Patron, James Dornan President & Jess Dornan Lynas

 

NIPanC was launched in 2018 by our patron, Jamie Dornan, who had himself lost his mother, Lorna, to the disease.

The strength of NIPanC lies in it bringing together individuals who have suffered from pancreatic cancer, families with direct experience of its impact and medical professionals dealing with this condition.

NIPanC has three objectives: increasing public and professional awareness of Pancreatic Cancer; funding research; and supporting patients with Pancreatic Cancer and their families — to ensure that they never walk alone.

Our initial focus has been on increasing awareness. In Northern Ireland more than 250 people a year die of pancreatic cancer (in a 1.8 million population) yet public knowledge of the disease is extremely low.

As a young organisation NIPanC has much to learn. The great value of the WPCC is its diverse membership and everyone’s willingness to share information, advice and their experiences. Working in partnership we can do so much more than we can working apart!

Our agenda for the next year will undoubtedly be skewed by the coronavirus pandemic. What really excites me about the future is the prospect of engaging with colleagues in the WPCC to draw out new ideas on how we can better fight pancreatic cancer and support those individuals and families affected by it.

Our enduring message must be one of hope. A hope firmly underpinned by an increasingly professional approach to funding research, increasing awareness and practical and empathetic support for affected by pancreatic cancer.