Lisa Peilet

When Lisa Peilet’s husband David was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer in March of 2020, her world was turned upside down, suddenly in a place she’d never thought she would be in. Unsure where to search for information, support, and care, she turned to Rolfe to help her navigate through this scary and unfamiliar place.  

As the cancer had spread already, Lisa’s mission was to achieve the best quality of life for David. Teamed up with Rolfe, who worked to make what they could of this terrible situation easier, they were committed to making this possible. Lisa particularly remembers the compassion that Rolfe showed her. The comfort and information she was guided with — from doctors to contact, to social workers to reference, to help with finances, to check-in calls — served as an invaluable asset during this time.

Along with the help from Rolfe, David’s positive outlook on life kept Lisa and her family pushing through together. He never complained, and never showed the sadness and pain that the disease brought. With an “I’ll get through it” mentality, David set the tone for his wife and family to think, “As positive as he is, we will be more positive”. Even when treatments stopped working and it was time for David to move to hospice, he never wanted his loved ones to be sad.

Coupled with David’s model of a strong and positive outlook, Rolfe helped Lisa by providing support for the grief and sadness upon his passing after the 7-month battle he fought.

The family continues to feel a strong connection to Rolfe as they navigate through the painful reality brought by the disease. As a family, they have become involved with Rolfe: Her son, Luc, joined the Board, and her daughter, Mari, is a volunteer. Lisa admires the strength of her family: her amazing kids — Mari, Luc, and his wife Elizabeth — make possible the close-knit nature of their family, and were wonderful with their father. Their extended family, too, was incredibly supportive and strong throughout the whole fight.

Battling to find support and care through the peak of the pandemic, the Peilet family was able to look to Rolfe for community and help. They continue to be a part of the Rolfe community as they honor David and other families facing Pancreatic Cancer.

This article was written by Rolfe contributor Amy Weiner

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