(Rock Island, IL) The CEO/Founder of the NormaLeah Ovarian Cancer Initiative is presenting Sisterly Advice to BEAT the BIG O on Tuesday, November 15th at the Rock Island Library at 2 pm (401 9th Street). The one hour informative and entertaining session is free, open to the public and includes a multi-media presentation, light refreshments, and an opportunity for women to ask questions about symptoms, risk factors, diagnostic tests, genetic links, and health insurance coverage for preventive measures.
Jodie Kavensky will speak about her experience as a caregiver and how she takes control of her health because of her inherited BRCA mutation. Each attendee walks away with life-saving information about ovarian cancer, symptom cards to distribute to family and friends, and the knowledge to be vigilant about their own health. The goal of each session is for women to know the symptoms and how to seek proper medical guidance.
Kavensky says sharing this information is critical for earlier detection and greater survival rates. When diagnosed in early stages, there is a 92% cure rate. There is no reliable screening test for ovarian cancer, so the most powerful weapon in the fight is knowledge of the disease. Each year, about 22,000 women in the United States receive a diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
ABOUT NORMALEAH OVARIAN CANCER INITIATIVE:
The NormaLeah Ovarian Cancer Initiative is a 501(c) 3 organization established to create public awareness, promote early detection and support research for ovarian cancer -- the silent killer of women. We are creating more survivors by empowering women -- and the men who love them -- to recognize the disease's subtle symptoms, assess their risk and seek the best treatment options. Our dream is that one day, an ovarian cancer screening test becomes part of every woman's annual exam. The initiative honors the memory of two sisters, Norma Yecies Shagrin (May 21, 1935 – June 1, 2008) and Leah Yecies Hantman (July 25, 1931 – August 21, 1998) whose lives were cut short by this deadly disease.
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