Join the Zetz Family Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation with $11 for Hope and Cure

By: PRLog
An Open Letter from Grace Zetz, the Founding Director of the Zetz Family Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation
PRLog - July 6, 2015 - MURRIETA, Calif. -- This past Friday, July 3rd, the Founding Director of the Zetz Family Pancreatic Caner Research Foundation, Grace Zetz wrote an open letter detailing her family’s experience and loss in hopes that it will inspire people to join her from now until July 11th to bring in as many $11 donations for Hope and Cure. Below is that letter.

Jim Zetz loved the 4th of July. He loved being home with his family all day and watching the kids swim and barbecued tri-tip, which all that tasted it agreed was the best ever. Secret ingredients according to him. Then it was a drive to the local Storm stadium to watch some baseball and eat hotdogs, peanuts and drink beer. It also happened to be the best place to catch fireworks around town. This was our family tradition for the past 10 years.

One year ago today, Jim was battling this beast called pancreatic cancer for nine months. It ravished his body, claimed his spirit and at times his mind. Yet, he was the bravest person I knew because his dignity as a man stood steadfast through it all. That day, though frail, jaundiced and in pain he scooted over to the kitchen with his walker and looked at me with glazed blue eyes and said, “Honey, i’m not going to make it much longer. I know it’s coming and I want to tell you that once I hit the bed I won’t hold on.”

Even now thinking back I have the same lump in my throat and my eyes well with tears. We both knew it.

The next day was the 4th of July, there were no pretty flowers in pots, no American flags. No swimming or bbq. The television was on. He sat quietly in his easy chair half asleep. I sat next to him in my own chair. Our 11 year old daughter, Josie sat on the couch and read her book most of the day. At one quick moment, he went from closed eyes to wide eyes turned to me and said, “Can I have a hotdog?” So I made him a hotdog, he smiled took one small bite, chewed slowly. And said, “That’s the best hotdog ever”.

The next day he hardly said a word, I couldn’t get him to drink. He looked at me confused. I struggled to get him up. Almost like he wanted to touch something frantically that wasn’t there. This was terminal agitation. It lasts for approximately 24 hours. I felt helpless, I really didn’t believe it was time yet. Not yet. Not yet.

By July 6th he was in that hospital bed. Not responding but I knew he could hear us. His brother and friends came to see him, that moment of watching grown tough men surrounding that bed on their knees praying, touching him and saying their goodbyes. It was a moment of solitude that will stay with me forever.

The next two days he no longer responded, there was no movement. Our children had arrived, and they took turns sitting at his side. That beautiful pale blue room that he built onto our home only a few years earlier is where we gathered with him. We knew he would leave us soon.

The priest came to give him last rites. My lifelong friend held my hand, the pain of heartbreak is intense and yet cloudy.

July 10th, his breathing slowed, his arms and hands swelled. I played George Strait’s CD “Chill of an Early Fall” it was the first music he ever bought for me many years ago. I talked to him and laid by his side knowing he was going. I felt a heaviness in the room. I was left alone with my husband that night.

On July 11th at 8:38 am his heart stopped, my hand on his chest. His eyes open and a smile on his face. The hospice paster arrived before the nurse. His words never leave me, “He knew I was there and he saw something beautiful in his light.”

I am sharing this very personal story with the world to bring awareness to pancreatic cancer.

It’s a story that many others have gone or are going through at this very moment.”

Graze Zetz is mother to Josie Zetz and widow to Jim Zetz who garnered international attention last April when Jim symbolically walked their daughter Josie down the isle.

The Zetz Family Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation was created to bring cutting edge research to the forefront. Our partnership with The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins allows us to support the National Familial Pancreatic Tumor Registry (‪#‎DNA4NFPTR) through adequate funding to cover costs of materials, collection and transportation of pancreatic cancer DNA from diagnosed patients for research of genetic mutations.

Join us today through July 11th and DONATE $11 to ZFPCRF, show support for pancreatic research and honor all those who have been affected by this silent killer.

To make a donation, please visit http://www.zetzfamilyresearchfund.org/donate/

For more information on the Zetz Family Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation please visit http://www.zetzfamilyresearchfund.org or http://pressroom.prlog.org/zetzfamilypcrf/

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