|
GOVERNOR DECLARES SEPTEMBER 18 LAURA'S DAY BIRMINGHAM, AL September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and teal is the awareness color. Alabama Governor Bob Riley has declared that September 18 is Laura Crandall Brown Ovarian Cancer Foundation Day in recognition of Laura's efforts to promote awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms. Friends, family, and many others will honor her memory and celebrate her life with the Head Over Teal 5k Walk/Run and Family Fun Day at the Preserve in Hoover to educate the public and to raise funds for research. Laura Crandall Brown constantly expressed her desire to be able to help others who are faced with the same battle that her family truly believes she won. Laura's loving and courageous spirit inspired her family and friends to create a foundation in her honor, the Laura Crandall Brown Ovarian Cancer Foundation. Through it, they hope to successfully carry out Laura's legacy by raising awareness and funding research, specifically in the area of early detection. Laura's Foundation strives to improve the odds of survival, offer hope, and support to all women and those who love them. Board Chair Jim Crandall and Laura's father said, "The Laura Crandall Brown Ovarian Cancer Foundation is a fulfillment of her wishes to help others and their families struggling with this disease. Laura taught me more during the 15 months of her journey with cancer about life and living than many people learn in a lifetime. Her fighting spirit is the catalyst that will move this organization toward achieving its goal." He continued, "We would like to thank Governor Riley for his commendation of the Laura Crandall Brown Ovarian Cancer Foundation Day. September 18 is a very special day for us." If detected early, the survival rate is 89%, but unfortunately many are not diagnosed until stage IV and the survival rates are reduced to 18%. Most women mistakenly assume they have been screened for this disease with their annual pap smear and pelvic exam. There is not an accurate screening method for this disease. Approximately 25,000 women will be diagnosed in 2010 with ovarian cancer. Formed in December 2009, the Laura Crandall Brown Ovarian Cancer Foundation was created to educate and promote awareness of ovarian cancer and to support research for an effective early detection method. To learn more about the Laura Crandall Brown Ovarian Cancer Foundation or the Head Over Teal 5k Walk/Run and Family Fun Day, visit the website at http://www.thinkoflaura.org/. ###
|
