My mother was the kind of person who wanted to help everyone, and loved her family and, most importantly, her three boys, above all else. When she was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer, we all rallied around her and did what we could to return the favor. Ultimately, when she passed away in 2017 as a result of the disease, we were left with a mission to do for her what we could to help create more awareness around and assistance for those with ovarian cancer.
As a result, I have chosen to use my love of running to do just this. On Sunday, November 3rd, I will be running the TCS NYC Marathon in an aim to create greater awareness of the symptoms that every woman should be aware of, and the questions women should ask their doctors.
One of the things that kept my mother’s spirits up while enduring chemo and radiation was the incredible network of support she had with her amazing friends and family. T.E.A.L.® is a network that exists for every woman out there, and we need to do all we can to let them know about the services it offers for patients and survivors, and the awareness it raises about the disease.
In my mother’s honor, I will do my best to continue to raise funds and awareness for ovarian cancer and T.E.A.L.®, so that we come closer to finding a cure, and so that my nieces, my mother’s granddaughters, will grow up in a world where there is a standard test for early detection or, even better, a cure.
