PLEASE SUPPORT RUTH MORAN- ROOKS' FIGHT TO SURVIVE PANCREATIC CANCER

Ruth Moran-Rooks has called Jackson Hole home for nearly thirty years. As the Executive Director of a nonprofit called pARTners, she has dedicated her career to inspiring a creative passion for the arts through education. Ruth has positively impacted the lives of thousands of K-12th grade students across Teton County.

Ruth is also the devoted wife of Jim Rooks, a fourth-generation Jackson Hole local, longtime educator and community leader. Most importantly, Ruth is the loving mother of two incredible children, Stella and Henry Rooks.

Just months after losing both of their parents, Ruth's younger sister, Christina Kitchen, a local family nurse practitioner, performed an exam and ordered a CT scan for Ruth that revealed a concerning pancreatic mass. The Moran-Rooks family quickly mobilized. Ruth and Jim boarded a one-way flight to Rochester, where they spent a month at the Mayo Clinic.

At Mayo, Ruth was diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Her pancreatic cancer was pressing on her common bile duct and she needed to have a large stent placed to open it up, she subsequently developed pancreatitis. She is now stable and back home in Jackson getting her port placed this week and starting chemotherapy next week at St. Johns Health.

Her treatment plan includes six months of chemotherapy, followed by a month of radiation and a major surgery at the Mayo Clinic. The months ahead will require repeated travel between Wyoming and Minnesota, extensive medical care, and significant time away from work for both Ruth and Jim as they focus on her treatment and recovery.

Like many Wyoming families, the Moran-Rooks family had to recently make difficult healthcare decisions based on what was affordable. Shortly before Ruth's diagnosis, she transitioned to a more limited health insurance plan that was appropriate for routine healthcare needs, but not designed to absorb the extraordinary costs of a catastrophic cancer diagnosis and treatment. As a result, they now face substantial out-of-pocket medical expenses, along with travel, lodging, and lost income throughout Ruth's treatment.

The challenging road ahead is being met with Ruth’s resilience and the particular determination that defines her entire life. Your support significantly eases the financial and psychological weight of it all for the Moran-Rooks family, allowing more focused energy on Ruth's treatment, healing, and spending precious time together as a family.

If you know Ruth....you know she's a fighter. A former All-American lacrosse player, she's always met life's challenges with determination, grit, humor, and a willingness to speak her mind. She approaches life with courage, conviction, and an unwavering commitment to the people and community she loves.

Every gift, every share, and every message of encouragement reminds Ruth and her family that they are surrounded in loving support. Thank you for standing beside them.