Velma Parker and her daughter, Druella, drove from Chicago for a second visit with Dr. Hruban and the pancreatic cancer research team at Johns Hopkins. Velma raised monies for pancreatic cancer research and presented a generous donation to Dr. Hruban. In honor of Velma and Druella's birthdays, both in April, the staff surprised them with a birthday cake. Velma and Druella met with the NFPTR coordinator, Kieran Brune, to discuss familial pancreatic cancer. They also met with Dr. Anirban Maitra who explained, in non-scientific language, the essence of gene chips and nanotechnology (using really small particles to deliver drugs). Dr. Christine Iacobuzio-Donahue informed Velma and Druella of "gene expression profiling" and the identification of genes specifically "turned on" in the pancreas where a cancer is present.

The partnership between Velma and Druella, and the research team at Johns Hopkins is a wonderful example of how private giving can make a difference.