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Peggy Orr started the All Strong Foundation after her husband, Brent, died of pancreatic cancer in 2016.
MOLINE, IL — Peggy Orr lost the love of her life to pancreatic cancer in 2016. Her husband, Brent, passed away at the age of 48 after a four-and-a-half month battle with the disease. My two sons were 9 and 12 years old at the time. After her husband’s death, she established her Ohl Strong Fund and donated $500 of her VISA gift cards to provide a support system for pancreatic cancer patients within QCA.
Orr honored her husband’s life as part of QC Storm’s “Hockey Fight Cancer Night.” She is featured as part of her WQAD’s Jefferson Award Series, which recognizes people in the community who have gone above and beyond to do good.
“He was kind, funny and intelligent,” Orr said.
She wants others battling pancreatic cancer to feel the support her husband felt during his battle with the disease. “When he was sick, his coworkers, friends, family, our community all came out and supported us,” Orr said.
“We knew Dr. Orr as the hot dog guy at the University of Iowa football games,” said Dr. Orr’s friend Jolene Newman. “At halftime, he goes and buys 20 to 30 hot dogs, gets up and throws them to the crowd.”
Wayne Breimeyer received one of the VISA gift cards. “It all started in February 2021 when I felt abdominal pain,” Breimeyer said. “By the end of June, it was stage 4.”
In October, Wayne felt better and attended the foundation’s annual event for the first time. His role as a VIP became a life-changing experience for him.
“I ended up spending probably over 30 minutes talking to each of them and their families about everything. It was probably one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” Breimeyer said.
Breimeyer says he no longer feels alone in the fight. He receives chemotherapy every two weeks, but the never-ending battle isn’t just for himself.
“I thought about giving up, but I couldn’t give up,” he said. “My wife, my children, they all need me.”
In the early stages of pancreatic cancer, there are often no signs or symptoms. However, early signs include jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin), abdominal or back pain, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.
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