The Heather Cutler Foundation is a registered Canadian charity headquartered in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador. Established in 2024 and incorporated on October 11, 2024, the Foundation was founded by Christopher Cutler in memory of his mother Heather Cutler — a registered nurse who dedicated over 35 years of service to her community before being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Her experience navigating the healthcare system, particularly the barriers faced by patients in smaller provinces, became the driving force behind the Foundation's creation.

HCF exists to improve outcomes for all Canadians living with pancreatic cancer — through awareness, patient navigation and support, health equity, community education, and advocacy. We work at the intersection of lived experience and systemic change, bringing visibility to the gaps in access to care that disproportionately affect patients outside major urban centres.

Our Atlantic Biomarker Access Program is currently fundraising to cover the cost of Next Generation Sequencing biomarker testing for pancreatic cancer patients in Atlantic Canada who have no provincial coverage and no other means of access. A federal petition presented in Parliament has placed pancreatic cancer on the national agenda and triggered an official government response period.

In 2025, the Foundation launched Pancreatic Cancer Policy Builders of Tomorrow — a pilot policy research and training program for undergraduate students at Memorial University of Newfoundland. The program engages the next generation of policymakers and researchers in exploring the challenges facing Canadians with pancreatic cancer, with a focus on access and equity outside major urban centres. It features a stakeholder speaker series and mentorship from professionals in health research and policy.

We are also actively developing Canada's first dedicated pancreatic cancer support line, a Community Champions awareness program, and an Annual Pancreatic Cancer Policy Summit — all guided by a multidisciplinary Medical Advisory Committee. We are a young organization building something that didn't exist before, and we invite donors, volunteers, and partners to join us.