In 2010, Lisa Craine was diagnosed with Cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer, and was given six months to live. She has since endured five recurrences, eight tumors and more than 30 hours of surgery while never giving up hope. In fact, Lisa and her husband, David, are fighting back against this rare disease with low survival rates

The Craines wanted to provide hope to Cholangiocarcinoma patients by raising money for this aggressive and deadly disease with no cure, and to support them as the navigate their journey, through mentoring, love and prayer. There was little to no Cholangiocarcinoma research in 2010, so they started the Craine's Cholangiocarcinoma Crew Fund at Akron Community Foundation. Since then, they have granted $25,000 for groundbreaking research at the Cleveland Clinic's Taussig Cancer Institute.

Recent years have brought new clinical trials, targeted therapies and innovative research and radiation treatments, and Lisa is hopefully there will be a cure someday, But until then, she uses her own experiences to help other patients navigate their treatment journey. She believes this is what she was meant to do: provide hope to the hopeless. Together, Lisa and her husband have embraced this mission with grace and love.

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