Twenty-eight years ago, that's how the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research started. Now their seed grants are bearing fruit for many local researchers and patients.
UCLA scientist Evan Abt is trying to unlock the way pancreatic cancer cells trick the body's immune system into not seeing them.
"We're essentially trying to take down the defenses of the tumor cells," he said.
He and his team are developing a drug to unmask the cancer cells and rev up the immune response.
"The goal of the program is to improve responses to existing therapies and ideally resulting in long-term disease remission," said Abt.
His promising clinical trials are attracting more funding. It all started with a $75,000 seed grant from the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
"We funded seven startup researchers, and to think that 20 years later, that number is over 100," said Executive Director Lisa Manheim.
Her mother, Agi Hirshberg, founded the non-profit in 1997. Their support led to the nation's first dedicated pancreatic cancer research center at UCLA, where exciting work in early detection is taking place.
"We know if it's caught early, the survival rate is significantly greater," said Manheim.
"I went to go get a CT scan, and I got a call a few hours later from the doctor saying, 'There's a shadow on your pancreas,'" said pancreatic cancer patient Gerri Weiner.
A routine colonoscopy led to that CT scan. It helped Gerri Weiner get an early diagnosis.
She immediately reached out to the Hirshberg Foundation.
"When I called them, I was like, 'I have pancreatic cancer.' And they just went into overdrive," she said.
They helped Weiner find doctors and provided resources and emotional support.
"What comes to my mind is they're like a warm blanket," she said.
From funding research to providing patient care, those are the main tenets of the Hirshberg Foundation.
Weiner said they gave her a community, but most of all, they gave her hope.
"I'm four years out. Every CAT scan has been clean. My blood work's been clean, and it was because they found it so early," Weiner said.
On October 26th, she'll be speaking at the Hirshberg 5K LA Cancer Challenge.
For Abt, being there inspires him.
"As a scientist, it's a clear reminder of why I do what I do," he said.
"Every time we hit that $75,000 mark, we know that that's another grant we can fund," Manheim said.
And another step toward finding a cure.