My mother, Margaret D’Aquino, has Pancreatic Cancer. She has, so far, been one of the lucky ones. She just began her fourth year as a pancreatic cancer patient. My mother was diagnosed on November 29, 2006. I say she is one of the lucky ones because her cancer was found early. She was able to have surgery and has been given the gift of TIME. Too many Pancreatic Cancer patients are less fortunate. 4 out of 5 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within the 1st year. 
    My mother is the third of 6 sisters to be diagnosed with this disease. My Aunt, Pat Earley, was diagnosed on November 27, 2001. She lived for three months and died on February 27, 2002. My Aunt, Noreen Messenger, was diagnosed in May of 2006. She lived for 7 weeks and died on June 28, 2006.
    Given my background and training in jewelry design it has been my desire to create something I can sell to help raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer research. The idea of the keychain came while brainstorming with a friend who told of bracelets that were made during the Vietnam War with a soldier’s name in it. You wore the bracelet to honor the soldier, and kept him and his family in your prayers. I really liked the idea of keeping something with you with someone’s name on it and keeping them in your thoughts. I decided to have the names printed on the inside of the keychain because Pancreatic Cancer is often called a “hidden disease.” 
     In the first year of my mom’s treatment, one of the doctors where she had radiation forwarded me an article from the New York Times that stated there has been so little advancement in research “because no one lives to march on Washington.” This project is my march on Washington.
     Please join me in my march and help fight Pancreatic Cancer. 100% of the profits from this project will be donated to pancreatic cancer research.

Keychains will be available for purchase soon. Contact me for details.