FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Michele Thompson wants residents to notice teal ribbons all around the community in September and ask why they are there.
In an effort to raise awareness about ovarian cancer, Thompson is asking residents to tie a teal ribbon around tree trunks and mailboxes.
Turn The Towns Teal, the inspiration of Gail MacNeil of Chatham, is now a national campaign to promote awareness of ovarian cancer and its often subtle symptoms.
“For the third year, I am turning Freehold Township teal for the month of September, which is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month,” Thompson said.
Thompson lost her mother to a rare form of ovarian cancer in 2012 and she wanted to do something about a disease that is often called a “silent killer.”
“Up until that point, I assumed women were tested for ovarian cancer, but there is no test,” Thompson said.
Educating women and men about the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer is part of her mission.
“I was under the false assumption, up until the time my mom was diagnosed, that women were tested each year for this terrible disease. I was wrong and soon learned it is often diagnosed later when the prognosis is poor,” she said.
“I am not asking Freehold friends for monetary donations. I am asking for friends to display a teal ribbon at their home or business during September,” Thompson said.
Mayor Thomas Cook granted permission to Thompson to turn Freehold Township teal, she said.
“We all have someone in our lives who has been touched by this dreaded disease and if hanging teal ribbons around the municipal building in Freehold Township compels even a few people to go online or go to their doctor to get checked, then it will be well worth the effort,” Cook said.
The American Cancer Society’s estimates for ovarian cancer in the United States for 2015 are about 21,290 new cases and about 14,180 deaths from the disease.
Ovarian cancer ranks fifth as the cause of cancer death in women. It is more common in white women than African-American women. About half of the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are 63 years old or older, according to the American Cancer Society.
Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer may include abdominal bloating or swelling; quickly feeling full when eating; weight loss; discomfort in the pelvis; changes in bowel habits, such as constipation; and a frequent need to urinate.
For more information about Turn The Towns Teal, contact Michele Thompson at 732-294-8547 or [email protected].
— Contact Christine Barcia at [email protected]