Nonprofit Spotlight: Elvin Howard Sr. PCAF

Elvin Howard Sr. was a gardener by day and a production engineer with a local television station by night. He was a lively, loving, upbeat man who poured all of his energy into his passions: God, family, and gardening. In the spring of 2007, Elvin’s wife, Bertha, a nursing professor, noticed that something was wrong with Elvin. In contrast to his typically energetic disposition, he seemed to be constantly tired, losing weight, and his appetite was meager. When Elvin first sought medical attention, he was misdiagnosed with diabetes. However, when Elvin’s skin and eyes started to look yellow - jaundice - his family knew that he immediately needed to seek further medical attention. That was when Elvin was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.The diagnosis came as a shock to Elvin and his family, largely in part to the fact that they knew little about the disease. Pancreatic cancer is a rare form of cancer, but it is amongst the most aggressive. According to the National Cancer Institute, pancreatic cancer accounted for 3.2% of new cancer diagnoses in 2017, and 7.2% of all cancer deaths. Upon his diagnosis, doctors gave Elvin six months to live.In spite of the grim timeline, Elvin survived with pancreatic cancer for another 17 months before being called home in the winter of 2008. His loss was devastating to his family and community, but fueled the Howard family’s passion for raising awareness and advocating for pancreatic cancer victims, survivors, and their loved ones.After Elvin’s passing, his family was compelled to take action. In lieu of flowers, the family asked for people to make donations to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) in Elvin’s name. While these efforts resulted in meaningful contributions to PanCAN and the fight to end pancreatic cancer, his loved ones wanted to do more. In his memory, the Howard family officially formed the Elvin Howard Sr. Pancreatic Cancer Advocacy Foundation (PCAF), a Baton Rouge-based nonprofit, in November of 2016. PCAF eventually earned its 501(c)(3) through working with ExemptMeNow in October 2017. The process from signing up to becoming tax-exempt took about three weeks, just in time for PCAF’s fall fundraiser.The mission of PCAF is to reduce pancreatic cancer deaths and family hardships by supporting research, pancreatic cancer survivors, their caregivers, and families. Through the foundation’s work, PCAF is working towards a world where pancreatic cancer is rare, early detection is common, timely treatment is received, and comprehensive support is given, with the ultimate goal of eradicating pancreatic cancer altogether.Since forming in 2016, PCAF has already made tangible impact in raising awareness about and advocating for people affected by pancreatic cancer. Because of the foundation’s efforts, more people in the Greater Baton Rouge area have been educated on the causes and symptoms of pancreatic cancer through their educational brochure and symposiums. Additionally, PCAF has provided resources to help those with pancreatic cancer and their caregivers, and have raised funds to support the foundation’s vision and mission. As the foundation grows, it hopes it will be instrumental in achieving a pancreatic cancer-free world.