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Tragically, three Australian women will die from ovarian cancer today. Another four will be diagnosed. Helen Hatzis and Mandy Herbert were two of these women. They'd been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, an insidious disease that has no early detection test and no cure.
As Mandy and Helen embarked on their fight, they became great mates, tackling the disease with vigour. After almost a decade, horribly, Helen lost her battle in December 2016. Just weeks later, again there was bad news. Having lived with and tackled what she described as "the Beastie" for more than 11 years, Mandy also passed away. Mandy and Helen were both influential and much-loved Ambassadors for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF). With Mandy and Helen in their thoughts, the Silver Lining Ride was born – a bicycle ride from Adelaide to Melbourne to celebrate the lives of these amazing women. The inaugural ride in 2017 traced Mandy’s life’s journey from her place of birth, through regional towns where she lived and started a family, ending in Melbourne where she settled.
Without an early detection test like the Pap Smear and with only vague symptoms such as bloating, tiredness and frequent urination, most women are diagnosed with advanced stage ovarian cancer. By that time the disease has spread. As a result, only 20%-25% of these women will survive beyond five years. An early detection test will change this dramatically, increasing survival rates to over 90%.
Led by Mandy’s daughter Georgie and long-time family friend Clint Stanaway, the riders are aiming to $150,000 which will fund an entire, new research project for a year. Embarking from Adelaide on November15th, the riders will stop at regional centres throughout South Australia and Victoria, arriving in Melbourne on November 24th. Bendigo Bank branches along the ride and throughout Victoria will be supporting the Silver Lining Ride with fundraising activities.
After losing two brave, inspiring women to ovarian cancer, Mandy and Helen’s families went in search of a silver lining. And they found it in the Silver Lining Ride.
Join us as we help the Silver Lining Ride and the OCRF in their quest to give women everywhere a future with less to fear.
Support the Silver Lining Ride
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