Penn Medicine Hosts GI Conference for Patients, Families and Caregivers

Gayle Jackson, mother of Philadelphia Eagles’ DeSean Jackson, to Give Inspirational Keynote Address

WHAT:

More than 250 people are expected to attend Penn Medicine’s 4th annual “Focus on Gastrointestinal Cancers” conference. The event is offered to those at risk or in treatment for colon, liver or pancreatic cancer, as well as survivors, family members, caregivers and health care professionals. Gayle Jackson, mother of Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver DeSean Jackson – whose father died of pancreatic cancer in 2009 – will give an inspirational keynote address titled “A Caregiver’s Story.” The conference, sponsored by the Abramson Cancer Center, is free of charge.

WHEN:

Friday, March 26, 2010
7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

NOTE: Gayle Jackson will speak from 9 to 9:10 a.m., followed by a five-minute question-and-answer session.

WHERE:

Hilton Hotel
4200 City Avenue
Philadelphia, PA

(Gayle Jackson to speak in the Grand Salon of the Hilton Hotel)

Details

Bill Jackson fought a courageous battle against pancreatic cancer, but he lost the fight on May 14, 2009. The DeSean Jackson Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer was established to honor his legacy and to bring awareness to this disease.

At the conference, Gayle Jackson, Bill’s wife, will discuss her personal experience as a caregiver and how the Foundation aims to improve the quality of life for patients and their families.

“We were horrified to learn Bill had pancreatic cancer,” says Gayle. “He passed away just five months later. There were no apparent warnings signs and no red flags until it was too late for treatment. This is a very serious disease.”

It is the mission of the DeSean Jackson Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer to provide hope and to support new and innovative initiatives aimed at finding a cure for pancreatic cancer today.

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Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4.3 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 16 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $398 million awarded in the 2012 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2012, Penn Medicine provided $827 million to benefit our community.