Partnership is a word you’ll hear often from the board members of Caring Together, a Partner Member of the Alliance in eastern New York. The support group was organized in 1996 by a survivor and nurse practitioner named Debbie Cullinan. “As the support group continued to grow, women and their families had a strong desire … Continued
Rhonda’s Club was founded in 1997, roughly the same time as the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance—and by some of the same people. Rhonda Oziel, Pat Goldman, Ann Kolker, Clare Donelan and Susan Butler were among a small group that formed the original Ovarian and Gynecologic Cancer Coalition of Greater Washington. “Women found it very hard … Continued
This month, we celebrate Liz Tilberis, beloved former president of OCRF and editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar.
When Suzi Shoemaker was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006, she assumed there would be a support group for her in Lexington, Kentucky. After her first experience with a Women’s Cancer Group, where she was told “We only had one member with ovarian cancer, and she just died,” Suzi decided there was a need for … Continued
In 2008, a group of ovarian cancer patients and survivors created the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Arizona. They were tired of the lack of resources in Arizona: no support network, no one to talk to outside of the doctor’s office, no extracurricular meetings or events, and no resources for caretakers. They started OCAZ to fill … Continued
Hope for Heather was established in memory of Heather Weeks, a young woman who lost her life to colon cancer but spent her 20s working on behalf of women with ovarian cancer. Heather’s family started the organization in March of 2009. Their original goal was to raise about $1,000 a year for ovarian cancer research; … Continued
In 1999, Frieda Hooper was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Frustrated with the lack of educational and supportive resources available, Hooper formed a support group for women with ovarian cancer in the Tampa Bay area, under the American Cancer Society. Rapidly growing in popularity, Ovacome started meeting independently of the American Cancer Society, eventually becoming an … Continued
In 2004, Sherie Hildreth was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. If the disease alone wasn’t frustrating enough, there was a lack of resources and what seemed like no other women to connect with in Oregon. During her treatment, Sherie noticed a lot of women did not have anyone to turn to, and wanted to create a … Continued
SHARE got its start in 1976 when Dr. Eugene Thiessen, an oncologist and surgeon, invited survivors to meet informally at the Manhattan breast cancer clinic he founded. “At the time, people were not comfortable uttering the words ‘breast’ and ‘cancer’ out loud. The notion of peer support was truly innovative,” says Jacqueline Reinhard, SHARE’s executive … Continued
Dr. Ron Chandler is a 2013 Ann Schreiber Mentored Investigator Award recipient. In this interview with OCRF’s Sarah DeFeo, Dr. Chandler discusses his research and what it means to receive a grant from OCRF. Sarah DeFeo: Tell us about yourself. Ron Chandler: I am the first Ph.D. scientist in my family, although my Grandpa and Dad … Continued
Dr. Maria Barbolina is a 2013 Liz Tilberis Early Career Award grant recipient. In this interview with OCRF’s Sarah DeFeo, Dr. Barolina discusses her research and what it means to receive a grant from OCRF. Sarah DeFeo: Tell us a little about yourself. Maria Barbolina: I live in Chicago now, but my life started on the … Continued
The Petersen family was inspired to educate the world about small cell ovarian cancer while their daughter and sister Stephanie was undergoing treatment for the disease. “The first thing they said to us was, ‘Don’t look on the internet—you won’t find anything about small cell ovarian cancer,’ ” recalls Maren Petersen. Discouraged by the lack … Continued
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