I'm fundraising for...
I am participating in the 2026 Run for Survival to raise money for pancreatic cancer in memory of my late father, Zane Austin.
This is my second year taking part in the Run for Survival. I walk because pancreatic cancer took my dad far too soon, and because I want to help create a future where fewer families have to experience the same heartbreak.
My dad was my best friend and my hero. He was a constant source of love, encouragement, and support throughout my life, especially during my own health challenges. Family meant everything to him, and nothing made him happier than taking care of the people he loved.
In 2016, our lives changed forever when he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Just 13 weeks later, he was gone. The speed with which pancreatic cancer took him was devastating. He went from working more than 60 hours a week running his own business to lying in a hospital bed in what felt like the blink of an eye. There was so little time to process the diagnosis, to explore treatment options, or even to say everything we wanted to say. We were told it was simply too late. That feeling of helplessness is something that has never left me.
My family experienced what no family should have to endure. One of the cruelest realities of pancreatic cancer is that it is often diagnosed only after it has already reached an advanced stage, leaving patients and their loved ones with very few options. That helplessness is why I continue to participate in the Run for Survival. While I cannot change what happened to my family, I can honour my dad's memory by supporting research, raising awareness, and standing alongside others who have also been touched by this disease.
Every donation helps support research into earlier detection, better treatments, improved patient support, and ultimately... a cure. It gives hope that one day families will hear different words than the ones we did.
Every step I take is for my dad, for the kind, hardworking, and loving man who meant the world to me. I walk so that one day fewer families will have to experience the heartbreak of losing someone they love to pancreatic cancer.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Whether you choose to donate, share my fundraiser, or simply help raise awareness, your support means more than you know. Together, we can help create hope for families facing pancreatic cancer.
