Hello :)

I am raising money for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Gibraltar Charitable Trust in honor of my uncle Louis Baldachino, who has defied all the odds and continues to be a true inspiration and beacon of hope for those affected by cancer.

I have chosen to hike the 4 day, 80km Heaphy Track in New Zealand. It is one of the Great Walks and is considered to be the longest one. I hope to complete the hike in either mid November 2024 or January 2025 (weather permitting).

My aim is to hike it solo to represent the journey my uncle had to endure in order to get to where he is today, because although I won't be the only one on this track, I will still have to walk alone in order to complete it; a long journey that essentially my uncle had to do for himself despite all the support from family and friends around him.

Below, in his own words, is my uncle's incredible story.

"In July 2015, I was diagnosed with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer with advanced pancreatic ducal adenocarcinoma which had already infiltrated the spleen, abdominal cavity, left adrenal gland and gastric wall. The diagnosis was simply heading towards the worst possible outcome and facing a 2-6 months chance of survival. It was simply a terrifying prospect.

At the time of diagnosis, I still had a young family and it was undoubtedly the most difficult time of my life. I remember just crying my eyes out every day for the following couple of weeks. But I also remember taking the most important decision of my life:

In August 2015, I started chemotherapy for three months followed by a month of radiotherapy treatment ending in November 2015. The first battle was won as scans done in early December showed the tumor had incredibly shrunk over 50% and more incredibly, the possibility of surgery became a reality!

In January 2016, I underwent the 10 hour surgery of a distal pancreatectomy, partial gastrectomy, splenectomy and left adrenalectomy surgery. With surgery, the survival chances did increase but still the overall forecast was depressing. Post surgery revaluation revealed lesions in the retro umbilical and prevesical regions.

For the next 10 months, I was treated with 3 different intravenous chemotherapy treatments, but unfortunately, continued blood analysis and scans showed that the disease did ‘not go away’.

Things got even worse in October 2017 as scans confirmed peritoneal progression of the disease. After much careful analysis of the findings and the very limited possibilities in the way forward, I opted to participate in an immunotherapy clinical trial.

On the 6th November 2017, I received the first dose within the context of the clinical trial. The clinical trial entailed weekly dose/treatment to be carried out, this meant I was needing to make the strenuous 16 hour train journey from my home in Gibraltar (the southern tip of Spain) to the hospital in Pamplona (the very north of Spain) EVERY WEEK FOR 2 YEARS. I would travel up to Pamplona on Sunday, undergo tests and receive treatment on Monday and returned back to Gibraltar Monday night.

Apart from what I endured for the various treatments and surgeries for the pancreatic cancer, I had to overcome many other obstacles and setbacks. To summarize the enormity of the other health issues I had to face during the first 3 years after I was diagnosed is as follows:

- 3 major surgeries including embolisation of intestinal hemorrhage (October 2015), 'Sugar-Baker' surgery (August 2016) and an intestinal bypass (September 2017).

- 6 surgeries to remove lesions in the abdominal wall area.

- Primary adrenal crisis within episode of influenza (March 2016)

- Septic shock caused by intense cellulitis in the lower extremities affecting the legs (September 2018).

Incredibly, the success of the clinical trial for me could not have been better. After those two years and after successfully removing, by radio surgery between 25th September and 16th October 2019, some residual disease which persisted in the upper intestines area, results showed no evidence of disease!

Four years ago (July 2020) I reached my 5-year survival milestone for pancreatic cancer which is only 8% (the lowest 5-year survival rate of any of the 22 common cancers).

In 2022, a sculpture, titled 'Never Lose Hope', was unveiled by the Minister of Health at St. Bernard Hospital in Gibraltar. It's message being to everyone to have faith, courage, strength and positivity when dealing with health issues.

As of 2024, YES - July 2025 is my next goal for the 10 year survival milestone which only has a 1% survival rate!

CUN's Oncologist Dr Leire Arbea Moreno highlights the magical success of my story:

IN THE PRESENT, I continue with undergoing immunotherapy treatment every 3 weeks in Madrid and live a near to ‘normal life’. I am able to enjoy daily activities with only some minor side effects from past treatments, such as peripheral neuropathy and digestion problems. However, I view these as simply scars of the many battles I had to fight (and win) together with my family and friends. I continue in trying to inspire as many people as I can to be physically and mentally strong in their fight against this horrible disease. I continue to spread my message:

Thank you for reading my Uncle's unbelievable story of strength, inspiration and hope.

He continues to defy the statistics and has further dedicated his life to the cause by starting the Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Gibraltar Charitable Trust. Through his charity work, he has fundraised by having organized local relay events, continues to make public appearances to help spread awareness on pancreatic cancer symptoms, his sculpture stands proudly in St Bernard Hospital to further give strength to those fighting health battles and most importantly, he continues to advocate to all those suffering from cancer to NEVER LOSE HOPE.

Any donation will be hugely appreciated. I have set the fundraiser to Gibraltar's currency of the British Pound. So here is a rough conversion for people outside of Gibraltar who may also wish to donate:

£1 GBP = 1.20 EUR, $2.17 NZD, $1.97 AUD

I also please ask, if you choose to add a comment with your donation you do not need to address it to me; I want all kind words to be dedicated to my uncle, anyone who may be suffering from cancer or even just for someone who is going through a hard time right now.

You could leave a message of hope, encouragement or strength so the next person can read it and hopefully have it give them some comfort through their journey. I believe there is strength in words and so I would like for all messages to be for those who need to hear it the most.

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page

Gianella <3

(Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity)