Madeleine Bakken, a Los Altos resident and sophomore at Homestead High School, helped organize a team of more than 60 family and friends to walk in honor of her late godmother, Dr. Fidelia Butt, at the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s PurpleStride walk April 30 in San Jose.
PanCAN’s PurpleStride is a year-round national movement that funds programs and services to accelerate progress for pancreatic cancer patients.
Butt died of pancreatic cancer April 11. She was a Bay Area native who most recently worked at Kaiser Santa Clara Medical Center, where she was the primary oncologic surgeon. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a master’s from George Washington Medical School, then completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Chicago and a residency in otolaryngology at UC Davis.
The goal of Bakken’s Team AACSN was to raise $10,000 to fight pancreatic cancer on all fronts – through research, clinical initiatives, patient services, advocacy and nationwide volunteer support. Butt was an advocate for supporting cancer patients, and Asian-American cancer patients in particular. Bakken worked with Butt’s family and friends to further support the physician’s lifelong advocacy.
Team AACSN exceeded its original fund-raising goal, and to date has raised more than $34,500, coming in third place for fundraising by a PanCAN team in Silicon Valley. Out of 60 events nationwide, Silicon Valley teams haved raised more than $500,000 to support PanCAN.
Bakken encourages people to donate to one of the organizations in which Butt actively participated. Butt co-founded the Asian American Cancer Support Network, an all-volunteer organization that serves as a community resource network for Asian Americans affected by cancer in the Bay Area through social programs and fundraising.
To donate to PanCAN, visit tinyurl.com/eusc3864.
To donate to AACSN, visit aacsn.org/support.
