HBA member Jimmy Dias of Dias Renovations and his wife Christy host annual charity event.

Create the Cure – A Unique Charity Event

What is a pancreas?  And what can make it cranky?  Christy Dias, wife of Jimmy Dias, has had to find out first hand.  She has endured years of severe illness due to a very sick pancreas, and ultimately had the entire organ removed.  In January, 2011 she was the 49^th patient at MUSC to have what is called a total pancreatectomy with an islet cell transplant.  The islet cells were transplanted into her liver, in hopes she would not become an immediate brittle diabetic. 

Through this long battle, she became well-informed of medical terms, especially those pertaining to pancreas diseases.  She found that educating herself, then sharing it with others, made the suffering have some sort of meaning.  She found out how little research is done on the crucial organ, and very little is understood even within the medical community.  There are extremely limited treatments for her kind of illness, and no cure.  The treatments that do exist are drastic, such as removing the entire organ as she has had done.  Many medical professionals still do not understand that anyone can live without the organ.  But as Christy is living proof, it can be done.  It is just never easy, and far from ideal!

 She continues to undergo many procedures and tests to keep on top of complications.  She deals daily with difficult-to-control diabetes.  But it hasn’t kept her down.  She created a website www.crankypanky.com, and formed a full non-profit organization through it all.  She raises funds for the research that desperately needs to be done.  She fights for education and awareness of diseases of the pancreas – which are rare but very life-altering or deadly. 

Her fundraiser, Create the Cure, is a unique event that combines a beautiful supper, music, auctions, and art at Twigs Tempietto in Greenville, SC.  The setting is amazing, and local artists linger throughout the venue displaying their work.  Christy is an artist herself, and art is what has also gotten her through the tough times. 

You can read a lot more about the pancreas, its diseases, and more importantly, purchase tickets to the Create the Cure at www.crankypanky.com.  It is just a few weeks away, May 1, 2014 at 6pm.  Tickets are $30/piece and must be purchased in advance.  Jimmy and Christy would greatly appreciate your support of this worthy cause, and would love to see you there.

You can also read more from the feature in Greenville Online.