Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
Local volunteers looking to raise the public’s awareness of the dangers of ovarian cancer will take to the Peter J. Biondi Municipal Complex this Thursday in an effort to use azure-hued ribbons to “Turn the Town Teal.”
At 10 a.m. on Aug. 31, volunteers with the Hillsborough chapter of “Turn the Towns Teal,” a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, will hang teal ribbons on the municipal property to commemorate September as National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
Susyn Timko, a singer-songwriter and volunteer from Hillsborough, said the main focus was to educate the general populace on the disease and its symptoms.
“That’s key because the symptoms are all stuff that you would normally overlook,” she said.
Classic symptoms of ovarian cancer are: pelvic or abdominal pain/discomfort (bloating), vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets, frequency and/or urgency of urination, unexplained changes in bowel habits, unexplained weight gain/loss, ongoing unusual fatigue, back pain, menstrual changes, and pain during intimacy.
Susyn’s mother, Marian Timko, was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer back in 2005. At the time, Susyn said her mother complained of bloating, shortness of breath and fatigue.
“My mom thought the symptoms were because she was getting older,” Susyn said.
After months of visits to the hospital and no definitive answers to what she was experiencing, Marian learned of her cancer diagnosis. She ultimately passed away in March 2007.
Marian’s story was not unlike that of the organization’s founder, Chatham resident Gail MacNeil, who was diagnosed with stage IIIC ovarian cancer in December 1997. After years of advocacy, she passed away in her home in June 2008.
According to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance, ovarian cancer is the “eighth most common cancer among women, the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women, and is the deadliest of gynecologic cancers.”
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that there will be approximately 22,440 new diagnoses of ovarian cancer and approximately 14,080 ovarian cancer related deaths in the United States this year. For women in New Jersey, the ACS estimates that there will be about 680 new cases this year, with about 410 deaths.
The ACS also estimates that a woman’s risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is “about 1 in 75,” while her lifetime chance of dying from the disease “is about 1 in 100.”
Since ovarian cancer and its symptoms are not as commonly known as other forms of cancer, Susyn said volunteers with the “Turn the Towns Teal” organization not only put up teal ribbons, but hand out informational cards and pamphlets to local businesses.
“It’s not just for women to know about ovarian cancer,” Susyn said. “Men should also know about it too because they have mothers, wives, aunts, sisters, friends that are girls. Just having the knowledge in general for everybody is important.”
Along with placing teal ribbons at the municipal complex, Hillsborough residents can get involved by visiting the “Turn the Towns Teal” website or contacting Susyn Timko at [email protected]. Monetary donations are also accepted at TurntheTownsTeal.org.
