As an OCRF-funded ovarian cancer researcher my work is rewarding—I get to work on something that will save the lives of thousands of women—but it’s also challenging. Recently, a young woman we’ve been working with, Ella*, experienced her fourth recurrence of ovarian cancer. Ella is just 25.
To make things worse, we’re running out of treatment options for her. We can’t stop her cancer from returning and she can’t live her life to the fullest. We have to do better for women like her. Ella’s story is common. More than 80% of women with ovarian cancer will experience disease recurrence. The only way to reduce this statistic is through treatment and early detection research.
I wish I could tell you that 100% of my time is spent on finding treatment for this horrible disease, but it isn’t. The other half of my time is spent writing funding grant applications or meeting with investors to get backing for our research. This takes away from my time in the lab, time where I could be improving the lives of women like Ella.
Ovarian cancer research needs sustained funding. I want to do this life-saving work without worrying about where the next grant will come from. That is what will truly save lives.
That’s why your monthly gift is so important. Thank you for giving our team the best possible chance of finding new treatment options that will save lives.
You can also share this note with friends and family and encourage them to give monthly to the OCRF too. In doing so, you’ll make sure we can make uninterrupted progress in building a future free from ovarian cancer.
Thank you,
Dr Maree Bilandzic
Hudson Institute of Medical Research
*Name has been changed to protect patient's privacy