‘Mother of All Mothers’ Overcomes Pancreatic Cancer

On Oct. 27, 2023, Cassandra Byrd and Edith A. Moore received the news that their mother, Mary J. Bain, was involved in a serious car accident.  

Bain was 75 at the time. She suffered several injuries, including a broken femur and wrist. Scans from her injuries showed there was something else happening inside her body: Bain had pancreatic cancer.  

“She bounced back from all of her injuries from the accident with flying colors and then she got sucker punched with the diagnosis of stage 3 pancreatic cancer,” Byrd said.  

Bain’s treatment plan at Moffitt Cancer Center started with chemotherapy and radiation. At first, due to her overall health, Bain was not considered a good candidate for surgery. 

Mary Bain was determined to have surgery despite many medical challenges.

Pamela Hodul, MD

During one of Bain’s stays at Moffitt, her family surprised her with a visit from her favorite soul violinist, Omari Dillard. 

Whether a surgeon can remove pancreatic cancer depends on the location and size of the tumor, as well as the patient’s nutritional status and physical condition.  

Bain started to make lifestyle and nutritional changes, knowing that surgery would result in the best outcome for treating her cancer.  

“Mary Bain was determined to have surgery despite many medical challenges,” said Pamela Hodul, MD, a surgical oncologist in Moffitt’s Gastrointestinal Oncology Department. “Through the support of her family and with the assistance of our great physical therapists and dietitians, she successfully met her goal. She breezed through surgery for her pancreatic cancer without complications.” 

After recovering from surgery, Bain is now in remission. She says her faith and the support of her family helped get her to this moment. “They supported me through it all,” she said.  

Bain has three biological children and is a mother figure to many. 

“With Mother’s Day coming up, it’s not only a special day for us as we celebrate our mother and all she has been through, but it’s also special for all the people she is a mother figure to,” Moore said. “We joke that my mom is the mother of all mothers because so many people look at her as a mom in their life.” 

Bain’s loved ones look forward to celebrating many more holidays together, with her right by their side, cancer free.  

“For my mom, family and being a mother is everything to her in this world,” Moore said.