Eline Van Den Abeele was not one to sit back and do nothing. Not even after she was diagnosed with metastatic bile duct cancer at the end of March. Just three months after receiving the news, Eline passed away. Her fighting spirit lives on in the fundraising campaign she launched for the Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG) in early June. Less than two weeks after its launch, the campaign had already raised €60,000. We spoke to Eline on 11 June, two weeks before her death.
“The fact that I was already thinking about starting a fundraiser just a few weeks after my diagnosis is very much in character for me. I’m someone who likes to take action, and I’ve always enjoyed supporting a good cause,” Eline explained.
That sense of commitment ran throughout her life. A paediatric physiotherapist from Zulte, she was active in the parents’ association at her three children’s school, involved in her professional association and had previously organised several fundraising initiatives.
“After my diagnosis, I received an incredible number of messages, cards and words of support from people asking if there was anything they could do. That gave me the idea for the fundraiser. Now there is something they can do: support cancer research.”
A deliberate choice to support CRIG
Eline deliberately chose CRIG as the beneficiary of her fundraiser.
“One of my relatives did her PhD there, and I had already organised a small birthday fundraiser for CRIG once before. So I knew that Ghent University has a very accessible fundraising platform. It only takes a few clicks to set everything up, and it’s easy to share your story.”
Her story clearly struck a chord.
“I never expected it to take off like this,” she said. “I only shared the fundraiser on Facebook. From there, it spread like wildfire among friends, patients, colleagues, my professional association and my husband’s network. The media coverage helped too. I’m incredibly grateful.”
The outpouring of support meant a great deal to her.
“It gives me warmth and strength to keep going. Sometimes I wonder why this had to happen to me. I probably had a better chance of winning the lottery than of developing this type of cancer. It feels so unfair. At times like that, the success of the fundraiser really is a little light in the darkness.”
Hope through research
For Eline, choosing to support scientific research was much more than a symbolic gesture.
“As a paediatric physiotherapist, my work has always been evidence-based. Scientific research is crucial if we want to make progress. There may be no cure for me today, but tomorrow there might be. That may sound naïve, but scientific research gives us hope.”
She therefore wanted the money raised to go specifically towards research into bile duct and pancreatic cancer.
“They are particularly insidious cancers. Often, they are only discovered once they have already spread. In my case, it started with vague symptoms such as neck pain and fatigue. Three months later, I was diagnosed with metastatic bile duct cancer.”
That was precisely why research into early detection was so important to her.
“If we can detect these cancers earlier, the chances of successful treatment increase enormously. CRIG is currently conducting research that focuses on exactly that. I even received a letter from the professor explaining the research to me. It feels good to know that I can make a contribution.”
"There may be no cure for me today, but tomorrow there might be. That may sound naïve, but scientific research gives us hope."
Living with incurable cancer
When we spoke to Eline, she was still fighting with everything she had. Her first course of chemotherapy had not worked, and she had since started a second treatment.
“The exhaustion is overwhelming and the pain is severe. Without morphine, I wouldn’t be able to have this conversation. But I keep hoping for good news.”
Her illness was never a taboo subject at home. Together with her husband, Eline spoke openly with their three children, aged between eight and twelve, about what was happening.
“They know that Mum is seriously ill and has a lot of cancer in her abdomen. Of course they have questions. That’s why they’re also receiving psychological support.”
Making every moment count
After her diagnosis, Eline had to make the painful decision to hand over her practice to her colleagues.
“My work was my life. But at the same time, I’m now spending much more time at home with the children. We’re going through this together. When they see that I’m struggling, they give me a hug. I hope I’ll still be physically able to take them away for a weekend. And I hope I’ll make it to my 40th birthday in January 2027, which is also the symbolic end date of my fundraising campaign.”
What touched her most was seeing just how deeply people cared.
“I’ve realised how many people cancer affects. Almost everyone knows someone who has been through it. I lost a friend to bowel cancer three years ago myself. The person who inspired my fundraiser was Ellen, a woman from my village who set up a non-profit organisation to support cancer research after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. Ellen passed away not long ago, but her mother contacted me to say how much she appreciated my campaign. That means an enormous amount to me.”
No regrets
Despite everything, Eline remained optimistic until the very end.
“I always try to make the best of whatever situation I find myself in. I feel a great deal of sadness about everything I have to leave behind, but I have no regrets about my life. I would live these almost 40 years all over again in a heartbeat. I’m the happiest woman in the world.”
You still can. Your contribution will support research into the early detection of bile duct and pancreatic cancer.
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