OC Awareness Month and Memories

This September seems to be flying by. It is hard to believe that we are already at day 10 of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

In the past, I would post almost every day about symptoms, types of ovarian cancers, genetic mutations in ovarian cancer, treatments, awareness organizations, and fundraisers. This year since I missed 10 days already, I will shoot for 4 - one per week.

This year is different in so many ways due to the COVID -19 pandemic. Educational events are postponed, cancelled or offered online. Fundraising events involving large crowds are not taking place. Instead there are banquets and auctions on Zoom. Walks, runs and rides to raise funds for research are all virtual.  I won't be walking with family and friends on the boardwalk to support research through the Kaleidoscope of Hope Ovarian Cancer Foundation. Instead I will be walking by myself, mask on, around my town on Saturday, September 26th.

While we don't yet have a screening test for ovarian cancer, I am happy to see some progress being made in treatments for women with ovarian cancer using PARP inhibitors. I am excited to see teal ribbons in towns in every state in the nation. (Teal is the awareness color of ovarian cancer.) I love to see photos of buildings and bridges outlined in teal lights. Survivors and their families are doing their best to raise funds and awareness of the disease by painting their nails and toes teal, wearing teal ribbon pins and earrings and teal t-shirts and tying teal ribbons around trees and lightposts.

To be honest with you though as much as this month makes me smile with all the teal and fundraising but it also makes me sad. Over the past fifteen years, friendships with many women who were also ovarian cancer survivors came easy. We met at in-person support groups or on Facebook or Twitter or the old ACOR listserv. We volunteered to serve on Boards of local OC awareness organizations. We sat at the same table at fundraising events and would hang awareness ribbons. Many of my friend's lives were cut short due to ovarian cancer, taken too soon from their families and their communities. Janice Lopez is one of those teal women . 

Sparacio and Lopez Families

Our families would gather together in late August to hang teal ribbons in Edison, NJ. We were both diagnosed in 2005 with similar symptoms. We sported our short haircuts together as we hung ribbons back in 2008. But on September 6th, eleven years ago ovarian cancer took her from her family. To honor her they formed the Janice Lopez Ovarian Cancer Foundation. They continue to raise funds for research  and I continue to support their mission.

This year Elie, (in the stroller in the photo) Janice's granddaughter created a PSA for her family's Foundation. Please take a moment to watch. 

I urge you to support ovarian cancer research this month. You can make a difference and save women's lives.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

September - A Busy Awareness Month

Earlier today I realized that almost 30 days have gone by without posting to this blog. My best laid plans to keep up with posting just did not work out.

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. This year more so than in the past I spent a lot of time on Facebook and Twitter posting information about awareness events and information on ovarian cancer. I posted for myself as Women of Teal (@womenofteal) and for the Kaleidoscope of Hope Ovarian Cancer Foundation (KOH) (@koh_nj) .

In addition to the work I did at home on the computer I also attended two KOH events as well as an event that my friends, the Lopez family, held for their foundation, the Janice Lopez Ovarian Cancer Foundation.

On Sept 18th I manned the Survivors Table at KOH's Gail MacNeil Morristown Walk. There were special survivor t-shirts, beads and notebooks for survivors. I was so happy to meet eight women who had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I created a large kaleidoscope image that the women could sign with their date of diagnosis. Eleven women who had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer signed the image.

I also got a pleasant surprise. I was awarded the KOH Spirit of Courage Award.

Some of the many walkers at the Gail MacNeil Morristown KOH Walk

Lynn Franklin , President of KOH awarded me the Spirit of Hope Award. 

The next Saturday I attended the Avon-by-the-Sea KOH walk, once again manning the Survivor Table. The day was rainy but that did not stop over 700 walkers from walking the boardwalk at the Jersey shore to help raise funds for ovarian cancer research.

Walkers on the beach waiting for the walk to start.

Bagpipes on the Boardwalk.

I was so happy to add more names to the kaleidoscope image.

Then on Sunday, September 25th, I attended the Janice Lopez Ovarian Cancer Foundation 3rd Concert for the Cure. It was an amazing afternoon listening to the Encore Orchestra of NJ and some amazing Broadway vocalists. Once again I was blessed to be honored by the Foundation and received their first Teal Champion Award.

What a month for me!  I appreciate the awards and being able to share some fun times with my husband and friends. Yet there were times during this month that I felt sad. Sad because so many women who were my friends and advocacy colleagues were not with me at these events as they had been in the past.  I missed Carole, Janice, Gail, Pam and others. It is in their memory that the advocacy work that I do takes on a special meaning for me.


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

A Fitting Tribute

Last night, I attended the Janice Lopez Ovarian Cancer Foundation's (JLOCF) Concert for a Cure to support ovarian cancer education and research. I have been friends with the Lopez family since 2006 when our families met to hang teal ribbons in Edison, NJ at the beginning of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Both Janice and I were diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2005. Sadly she passed away in 2009. But Team JLO continues to honor her through the wonderful works of their Foundation.

Before the Concert began Dr Lorna Rodriguez , Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey talked about Precision Medicine and the efforts made to treat the mutations found in various types of ovarian cancers.

The Concert was performed by the ENCORE Orchestra of New Jersey. What an amazing and talented orchestra. They performed songs from a number of Broadway shows and films including The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Le Miserables, Into The Woods and Lion King just to name a few. It is hard to pick a favorite but my top two were  Star(Le Miserables) and In Whatever Time We Have (Children of Eden). 

Below are some photos from the concert.

Jenna Ravenda, Julie Galorenzo, Katherine Acosta- At the Ballet

Keith White - Star

Shari Gill - Momma Will Provide

Marc Dahlia & Jenna Rivenda - In Whatever Time We Have

Felica Moss Eaton - Amazing Grace

It was an incredible event and I look forward to attending next year's concert .

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!Blessed to have heard the beautiful music of the ENCORE Orchestra.

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: September Events

September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness month and Ovarian Cancer Awareness month.

There are many ovarian cancer awareness organizations in NJ holding events over the next few weeks toraise awareness and funds for research. Check below for an event near you.

August 30

Teal Tender Hearts For Ovarian Cancer Awareness 

Hoboken, NJ

September 1-30 

 Turn the Towns Teal 

Teal Awareness Ribbons

Statewide

September 9

Teal Tea Foundation

Third Annual Awareness Tea

 Princeton, NJ

September 13

Teal Tender Hearts for Ovarian Cancer Awareness  

Walk For Ovarian Cancer, A Celebration of Life 

Newark ,NJ

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Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation 

The Gail MacNeil Morristown Walk - Loantaka Park  

Morristown,NJ

September 19

Janice Lopez Ovarian Cancer Foundation    

Concert for a Cure

Edison,  NJ

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Dance for Life 
A Bollywood and Zumba Dance Workout
with Arya Dance Academy
Monmouth Junction , NJ

September 20

Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation

Lyndhurst Walk - Richard W. DeKorte Park

Lyndhurst, NJ

Teal Tea Foundation

3rd Annual 5k Fun Run and Walk

Ewing , NJ 

September 26

Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation

Avon By the Sea Walk- On the Boardwalk

Avon by the Sea, NJ 

Teal Tea Foundation

Comedy Club Night 

Bristol , PA

September 27 
NOCC - New Jersey Chapter
West Orange, NJ
Registration here.

If you know of other events taking place in NJ please contact me with the information and I will update the page OR simply include the information in the comment section of this post. Thanks!

Dee 

Every Day is a Blessing   

OC Awareness #12 - OC Organizations in NJ

Do you know someone with ovarian cancer?  Do you want to help raise awareness, funds for research or provide help for women fighting ovarian cancer? There are a number of organizations in NJ that you can volunteer with or support monetarily.

GRACEful Hope
Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation
Janice Lopez Ovarian Cancer Foundation 
Mary Mazanec Ovarian Cancer Foundation
NOCC - Northern NJ
NOCC - Delaware Valley
The Teal Tea Foundation
Teal Wings of Hope Foundation 


I have personally worked with many of these organizations or personally know many of the founders / directors.  Each and every one of them has done outstanding work to either raise awareness, donate millions of dollars to research or have supported women who need help with transportation, bill paying , pharmaceuticals etc.You can help those fighting this disease  and do it close to home.

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

Janice Lopez Ovarian Cancer Foundation

I am so please to share the website for the newest 501(c)(3) non-profit raising awareness and funds for research in New Jersey, the Janice Lopez Ovarian Cancer Foundation. Janice and I were both diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005 and our families joined forces in raising awareness in Edison by hanging teal ribbons. Janice passed away in 2009 and her family continues to honor her by continuing to raise funds for research, raise awareness and by forming this foundation.

The mission of the foundation is to" raise money, and spread awareness to support ovarian cancer research and ovarian cancer patients. Our vision is to help save the lives of our mothers, daughters, sisters and friends."

Please check our their website , jlocf.org, which lists their events, how you can help and resources. Nick and I will be at the 7th Teal Night for Life on April 21,2012 at the Olive Branch. Can't wait to see the entire Lopez family. So stop by and say hi!

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!