FALL RIVER Itll be nine years Dec. 10 since Harry Proudfoot said goodbye to his wife, and in that time he hasnt forgotten the love of his life or slowed his efforts to increase awareness of her rare form of cancer.

Its a disease theyre still not talking about in medical school, Proudfoot said. If you dont know it exists, then you cant suspect it at all.

Proudfoot, a Fall River resident, never suspected that his wifeJane Dybowskiwould die at the age of 56 from neuroendocrine cancer, a debilitating disease, after having been so active and vital.

The couple met as teachers at Westport High School. She died six months before their planned retirement, leaving Proudfoot to mourn their future.

He described his wife as an intelligent and proud woman with a big heart. She was passionate about science, loved writing and literature, and was athletic and courageous.

Proudfoot said he watched Jane suffer for months as the disease took away her independence.

Her life over the last year shrunk until it was the size of a hospital bed, he said.

A neuroendocrine tumor is a cancer of the neuroendocrine cells, which have similar traits as nerve cells and cells that produce hormones.

There may no symptoms of the disease at all, or symptoms can include fatigue, a lump, pain, losing weight, diarrhea, dizziness, shakiness, skin rash and more, according toMayo Clinic.

Roughly 12,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer each year. The disease is often fatal because of the lack of screening tests and knowledge, and its symptoms that can be similar to other conditions.

For those reasons, Proudfoot works to educate others about neuroendocrine cancer, including the public, physicians, nurses and medical journals.

Its a very different disease, he said.

Proudfoot is just wrapping up a 30-day campaign to spread the word through #30NET cancer facts in 30 days.

Each day throughout November, Proudfoot is posting facts about neuroendocrine cancer on social media including that new diagnoses of the cancer are on the rise in the United States, increasing six-fold since 1973 to 6.98 per 100,000 people today.

In the coming weeks and months, he will send pamphlets about the disease to primary care practices and medical schools around the country.

Proudfoot said he feels he must do something, especially if it can lead to more research or a cure. He said there is no army fighting for an end to neuroendocrine cancer.

I dont ever want anyone to go through that, Proudfoot said. If I can play even a tiny role in preventing even one person from going through that, its my job.

Proudfoot works five days a week advocating for research and helping patients through Walking with Jane, a foundation dedicated to preserving Dybowski's name and funding research, understanding, diagnosis and treatment of neuroendocrine cancer.

Walking with Jane offers an annual walk and golf tournament. It has funded research papers, raised more than $170,000 for the Jimmy Fund Walk and $500,000 for the Pan Mass Challenge, has established a fund for primary physician education, distributed scholarships at Westport High School and Bridgewater State University, offered outreach at local craft fairs, dinners and other events, and more.

Proudfoot said his job isnt always easy, especially when he continues to lose people with whom he grows close to cancer.

Sometimes, I feel like Im standing at the base of a mountain throwing tiny stones up, hoping to cause an avalanche, Proudfoot said. So, we just keep throwing rocks.

To learn more, follow Walking with Jane on social media. To reach Proudfoot, email walkingwithjane@gmail.com.

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