Pancreatic Cancer Survivor, A Beacon of Hope BY MERRY QUARLES
“Thirty-one-year-old women don’t get pancreatic cancer. They just don’t.” Those were the words Woodstock resident Elizabeth O’Connor heard from friends and family when she received her diagnosis of stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Elizabeth had experienced a difficult second pregnancy, which resulted in her son being born six weeks early. Doctors discovered the cancer not long after she developed a blood clot in her arm. Elizabeth was told she had a matter of months to live. The outlook was grim, and she and her husband, Patrick, felt defeated. But, she had deep faith, the love and support of her family and community, and a team of doctors who were, and still are, committed to her survival. In fact, this month, she celebrates 11 years as a pancreatic cancer survivor. Elizabeth credits the constant support of her family and community for keeping her going during dark times. She and Patrick, along with her parents, superb team of Randy and Judy Dobbs, doctors, led by became advocates for others Dr. Daniel Von fighting this disease. They Hoff, who is one work with Purple Pansies, a Elizabeth O'Connor of the original colocal group that encourages leaders of SU2C’s early detection and strives Pancreatic Dream Team. Von Hoff to boost survival rates. In August, immediately put her on a regimen she told her story nationally on the to maximize the effectiveness of her Stand Up 2 Cancer (SU2C) Night chemotherapy, and introduced her 2021 telecast, which can be viewed to other doctors and surgeons who at https://standuptocancer.org/su2cjoined her fight. show. Elizabeth’s story begins at 48 “I dreaded the oncologist’s office, minutes and 49 seconds into the because I knew they were going to video. give me a death sentence. But Dr. Von She has done more than she Hoff continues to fill me with hope realizes for others affected by the instead of dread, and that makes all disease. According to staff members the difference,” Elizabeth said. She at SU2C, “Elizabeth is the reminder remembers Von Hoff told her that that pancreatic cancer doesn’t have to nobody holds a crystal ball to your be a death sentence. It’s important to life. “It made me feel like there was support research that makes her story hope,” she said. “He made me believe the norm.” we could fight this thing and win.” Elizabeth doesn’t just have a great Over the past 10 years, Elizabeth network of support; she also has a 32
AROUND WOODSTOCK | November 2021
has had lung surgery, brain surgery and brain radiation. But, she also has been given so much hope. She emphasizes that hope is the one thing that can’t be undervalued. When asked what her local community can do this month to celebrate and honor her survival, her request was simple. “Wear purple and tell people why,” she said. Purple is the color for pancreatic cancer month. Elizabeth would love to see Woodstock go purple in November, so that more people can learn about pancreatic cancer and find the same hope she was given by her doctors and SU2C. Merry Quarles is the manager of FoxTale Book Shoppe, mom to five grown boys and wife to Michael. She has lived in Woodstock for 41 years.
