Report on Benefit for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Event

Mwee
Mwee Member Posts: 1,338
That I was lucky enough to be able to attend today in Syracuse, N.Y. When I was invited to attend, I had no idea that it was going to be such a huge event. There were 250 guests, a fashion show, local TV personalities and politicans and some very interesting speakers. Jon Zeidman, Director of Development of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) spoke about the importance of developing a reliable early detection test for OVCA. He told us that he lost his grandmother to OVCA and about the organizations effort to recruit young doctors who are going into cancer research to choose to work on ovarian cancer.

Jenn Sommermann, a stage III ovarian cancer survivor, is a triathlete who's goal is to run a triathlon in all 50 states and raise $100,000. before she reaches 50 years old. She has completed 31!! www.jennsommermann.blogspot.com

As you can probably tell, I came away energized and in awe that there are so many families that are touched by this disease and willing to help all of us teal warriors who are battling now and will have to fight in the future.
(((HUGS))) Maria

Comments

  • poopergirl14052
    poopergirl14052 Member Posts: 1,183 Member
    way to go!!!!!!!!!!!
    sounds like a successful event. It is about time this horrid disease gets some funding and awareness,,,good job Maria. Keep sprerading the news ,,people are finally listening..val
  • Mwee
    Mwee Member Posts: 1,338
    forgot to mention...
    Jon Zeidman also told us that for every woman in the US who is diagnosed with breast cancer, $19,000 a year is spent on research and with each of us who are diagnosed with OVCA, that number is $4000. We have our work cut out for us.
    (((HUGS))) Maria
  • clamryn
    clamryn Member Posts: 508
    That was awesome
    Maria I am so glad you got to go. That is just wonderful. It is good to hear that there are those that are trying to help us.

    Linda
  • clamryn
    clamryn Member Posts: 508
    Mwee said:

    forgot to mention...
    Jon Zeidman also told us that for every woman in the US who is diagnosed with breast cancer, $19,000 a year is spent on research and with each of us who are diagnosed with OVCA, that number is $4000. We have our work cut out for us.
    (((HUGS))) Maria

    This makes me sad
    I knew this in my heart, I just didn't want to hear it. Kind of makes me think we are second class and we get what's left. I am praying for the future. A future where there is awareness and a cure. Cancer is cancer, no matter where it is in your body. I pray that all cancers are treated equally.

    (((hugs))))
    Linda
  • AnneBehymer
    AnneBehymer Member Posts: 738 Member
    Mwee said:

    forgot to mention...
    Jon Zeidman also told us that for every woman in the US who is diagnosed with breast cancer, $19,000 a year is spent on research and with each of us who are diagnosed with OVCA, that number is $4000. We have our work cut out for us.
    (((HUGS))) Maria

    Can't we just share
    Maria,

    I don't like those numbers it makes me feel like all donations for cancer should be put in togeather and then be share equaly with all cancer. It really does feel like our cancer is not that important and if we liver or dies does not matter either.

    Love, Hugs, and Prayers
    Anne
  • kikz
    kikz Member Posts: 1,345 Member
    clamryn said:

    That was awesome
    Maria I am so glad you got to go. That is just wonderful. It is good to hear that there are those that are trying to help us.

    Linda

    Glad to hear
    about any efforts made toward finding cures or better treatment for this disease. I think the money allocated is based on numbers. I remember seeing a Phil Donohue show in which people with a little known disease could not even get medication that would help them because the pharmaceutical companies didn't want to bother producing a drug that would only be sold to such a small number of people.

    Everyone who is ill wants to get well and deserves the best treatment available. We know that is not a reality but we don't have to sit still for that. I continue to pass out teal toes cards and tell my story but it never seems like enough. I am always amazed how little women know about this disease.

    Maria, I am glad you had such a positive experience.

    Karen
  • lovesanimals
    lovesanimals Member Posts: 1,366 Member
    kikz said:

    Glad to hear
    about any efforts made toward finding cures or better treatment for this disease. I think the money allocated is based on numbers. I remember seeing a Phil Donohue show in which people with a little known disease could not even get medication that would help them because the pharmaceutical companies didn't want to bother producing a drug that would only be sold to such a small number of people.

    Everyone who is ill wants to get well and deserves the best treatment available. We know that is not a reality but we don't have to sit still for that. I continue to pass out teal toes cards and tell my story but it never seems like enough. I am always amazed how little women know about this disease.

    Maria, I am glad you had such a positive experience.

    Karen

    Thank you, Maria
    for reporting back to us and for participating in an event that helped to raise much-needed awareness for our cancer. Sounds like you had a very good day!

    Kelly
  • msfanciful
    msfanciful Member Posts: 559
    This is great, but alas;
    This is great, but alas; you're right, it seems these
    days that pink is the new "in" statement?

    We do have a lot of work to do, but little by little and
    bit by bit, together we can eventually get the word out.
  • kayandok
    kayandok Member Posts: 1,202 Member
    Great job, Maria!
    Thanks for the update. Would love to hear about what you shared, even a condensed version, when you have time.
    You chalked up a win for the Teal team and I will go to sleep smiling at the image go this event and imagining you up there sharing your story. Thank you, Maria!
    Hugs,
    Kathleen
  • Radioactive34
    Radioactive34 Member Posts: 391 Member
    Cool.... :)

    Cool.... :)
  • carolenk
    carolenk Member Posts: 907 Member

    Cool.... :)

    Cool.... :)

    Maria, you just gave me
    Maria, you just gave me another reason why you are a hero (or should I say heroine?) of mine. Just like the Energizer Bunny, you just keep going!

    At the risk of being "unpopular," I'd like to comment on the inequity of funding for ovarian cancer vs breast cancer. First of all, ovarian cancer is considered a rare cancer whereas breast cancer is much, much more common. I for one would like ovarian cancer to stay that way (or just be prevented altogether). So, there are lots more breast cancer survivors & even more people (donors) who know women with breast cancer...you get that point.

    The other consideration is that ovarian cancer survivors do benefit from the research done for breast cancer...eventually. I am always interested in the latest news about emerging therapies for "triple-negative breast cancer"--especially for late stage & metastatic cases. Those therapies just might help US out, too.

    Triple-negative breast cancer seems to be the most difficult breast cancer to treat/cure & it has a high recurrence rate (sound familiar?). OK, that's all I have to say about that...for now. ; )
  • Mwee
    Mwee Member Posts: 1,338
    carolenk said:

    Maria, you just gave me
    Maria, you just gave me another reason why you are a hero (or should I say heroine?) of mine. Just like the Energizer Bunny, you just keep going!

    At the risk of being "unpopular," I'd like to comment on the inequity of funding for ovarian cancer vs breast cancer. First of all, ovarian cancer is considered a rare cancer whereas breast cancer is much, much more common. I for one would like ovarian cancer to stay that way (or just be prevented altogether). So, there are lots more breast cancer survivors & even more people (donors) who know women with breast cancer...you get that point.

    The other consideration is that ovarian cancer survivors do benefit from the research done for breast cancer...eventually. I am always interested in the latest news about emerging therapies for "triple-negative breast cancer"--especially for late stage & metastatic cases. Those therapies just might help US out, too.

    Triple-negative breast cancer seems to be the most difficult breast cancer to treat/cure & it has a high recurrence rate (sound familiar?). OK, that's all I have to say about that...for now. ; )

    thank you so much
    for your kind words. I am an energizer bunny, but the heroes here are Frieda and John Weeks who run Hope for Heather after losing their 24 year old daughter who was ironicly working for Gilda's Place. I, also, understand completely why breast cancer is recieving a much larger slice of the cancer research monies. I thought it would be interesting for all of us to know how the research dollars are being spent. I'm going to include the web addresses for OCRF if anyone wishes to check it out.

    www.ocrf.org
    www.facebook.com/OvarianCancerResearchFund
    www.twitter.com/OCRF (((HUGS))) Maria