All of us at Fund A Cure for Pancreatic Cancer were saddened to learn of the loss of former NBA Basketball Coach Chuck Daly to pancreatic cancer.  We want to send our condolences to Coach Daly's family and friends.

Coach Daly was and still is an inspiration to many who played for him both in college and professionally, as well as, those sports fans who followed his career, especially with the Detroit Pistons whom he led to back to back NBA Championship in 1989 and 1990.  Daly also led the 1992 United States Olympic Basketball team referred to the "Dream Team" to a gold medal coaching such NBA stars as Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Karl Malone.   

His passing only 3 months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, demonstrates to all of us again, how quickly pancreatic cancer steals our loved ones away from us.  Over 50% of pancreatic cancer patients diagnosed today will succumb to the disease in less than 6 months and 75% will not be alive one year from now.

It is clear that the federal government through the National Cancer Institute must commit more than $73 million a year towards life saving research, especially when far less deadly diseases enjoy government appropriations of upwards and beyond of $1 billion a year towards specific disease research.  The fact that pancreatic cancer has the worst prognosis of any major cancer, takes away as nearly as many lives as breast cancer each year, but is 11th on the funding priority of the National Cancer Institute must change.  This change is necessary in order to increase 5  year survival rates for pancreatic cancer higher than the current 5% and upwards to the 90% that currently exist for breast cancer and prostate cancer.

It is time to Fund A Cure.  Now.     

Sincerely,