Waukesha County man survives pancreatic cancer; shares message of hope
Pancreatic cancer survivor shares message
A Waukesha County man says he thought he was going to die after being diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. Local doctors helped him beat the odds, and now this "miracle man" is sharing a message of hope.
TOWN OF MERTON, Wis. - A Waukesha County man says he thought he was going to die after being diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer.
Local doctors helped him beat the odds, and now this "miracle man" is sharing a message of hope.
"It’s a time for me to be with God and I just feel the wind. It’s a real peaceful feeling."
For Jeff Vanderkin, his hobby of windsurfing is also a reminder that he’s alive.
Out on the water
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Diagnosis and treatment
The backstory:
In 2023, Vanderkin was at his summer home in Tennessee. Something wasn’t right.
"I noticed I had just a little, I wouldn’t even call it a pain. It was a discomfort in my stomach," said Vanderkin.
He initially brushed it off, but after two weeks the feeling in his gut turned to dread.
Doctors in Tennessee found a tumor. It was stage IV pancreatic cancer.
In the hospital
"I was thinking it was the end. My wife and I, it was a hard time. I was preparing," he said.
The National Cancer Institute reports only a 13.3% five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer. At stage IV, the odds sink to 3%.
Friends urged Vanderkin to return home and seek treatment from the Medical College of Wisconsin.
"I know God wants me here for something – part of that is to tell my story," he said.
Vanderkin credits his doctors at MCW for saving his life. They put him on an aggressive form of chemotherapy called FOLFIRINOX, that combines four different drugs.
Sharing his message
What's next:
Next week, Vanderkin will share his message at "Dinner on the Diamond." It’s a fundraiser held at American Family Field through the Seena Magowitz Foundation to raise money for pancreatic cancer research and support.
"After the four months of chemo, they said the tumor was so small that they didn’t know if there was anything left," he said.
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Vanderkin truly beat the odds.
Now he wants others to know that even when faced with a deadly disease there’s always hope.
"I’m a miracle. I’m a miracle man, I think."
Through care and treatment options, the Medical College of Wisconsin reports that its doctors have increased the five-year survival rate here to 30%.
The Source: FOX6 spoke to Jeff Vanderkin to produce this story.