Mark Gelinas was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer four days after he got engaged.
Gelinas’ first symptom was what he assumed to be acid reflux during the summer of 2014. On the day before Thanksgiving, a doctor called to tell the 51-year-old there was a tumor on his pancreas.
“I don’t get sick,” Gelinas said. “I’ve never been sick a day in my life, really. Maybe a stiffly nose; the flu once or twice. So this was a huge, huge impact.”
While less common than other cancers, pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Only 7.2 percent of people survive five years or more after being diagnosed.
Gelinas began chemotherapy the week before Christmas. In May 2015 he underwent a surgery known as a “whipple procedure,” which removes part of the pancreas, part of the small intestine and the gallbladder. After nearly 10 hours, his doctor confirmed he was cancer-free.
Gelinas says he had a prize at the end of the difficult journey -- he was married to Donna Gelinas in August.
“I have often said to her through this process that she was made for me specifically to help me through his period of my life,” Gelinas shared. “She was made for me for this moment and for the rest of my life.”
On Nov. 14, Donna Gelinas and the rest of team "Gelstrong" will raise awareness and money to help treat the disease at the Purple Stride Walk, at Centennial Olympic Park.