CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. – Folks came together to raise money for cancer treatment and education while honoring a beloved neighbor on Sunday in Chesterfield County.
Emily Koski was diagnosed in the spring with stage four pancreatic cancer, a disease that claimed her sister's life just a year before.
"After several hospitalizations, chemotherapy, plummeting to 100 pounds and barely being able to eat, Emily’s cancer marker number miraculously went from a whopping 385,000 down to 290," Meg Fogle with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) said. "She is now feeling better every day -- power walking 3 miles and jogging about a mile."
Emily Koski
Over the weekend the Salisbury community hosted the PanCAN pancake breakfast and walk and run to honor Emily, her sister and the thousands of others who are affected by the disease.
Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the country and kills more people than breast cancer in the U.S.
The cancer is difficult to detect since the pancreas is located deep in the abdomen, so doctors often cannot see or feel a tumor during an exam.
The event helped raise more than $11,000. Additionally, a donor has agreed to match up to $10,000 of the donations.
Emily plans to launch the #LetsFlipTheScript social media challenge at the of the end of the month.
The proceeds will go directly to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Click here for more information about pancreatic cancer and how you can help.
