Ahead of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in September, the Tell Every Amazing Lady About Ovarian Cancer Louisa M. McGregor Ovarian Cancer Foundation, known as T.E.A.L., hosted Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso for an in-depth tour of its community center in Windsor Terrace.
During the July 29 walk-through, T.E.A.L. Co-Founder and CEO Pamela Esposito-Amery told Brooklyn Paper that the organization was “excited” to welcome the beep.
“We know that women’s health is an important cause for [Reynoso],” Esposito-Amery said. “So we’re really just introducing our services to him so he can understand what we do day to day [while] looking for support and help.”
Esposito-Amery founded T.E.A.L. in 2009 with her sister Louisa M. McGregor, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer two years prior. She says they started the organization because there were barely any resources for ovarian cancer patients nor sufficient research funding to find a cure for the disease. T.E.A.L.’s mission is to educate and raise awareness about the disease and raise funds to find a screening test and a cure for ovarian cancer while supporting and empowering patients, survivors and their families.
Esposito-Amery said her sister, who died of the disease in 2011, wanted her to continue the work and branch out nationally. In 2015, the organization opened the Ovarian Cancer Community Center at 533 16th St. It’s the only community center of its kind in the United States and offers free community programming like the Amazing Lady Membership Program, awareness and education programs for survivors, their families, and the general public, wellness and nutrition workshops and meditations.
Before Reynoso arrived for the tour, Esposito-Amery told Brooklyn Paper that, unlike a Pap smear that detects cervical cancer, there is no accurate screening test for ovarian cancer, and it is therefore often caught at a late stage.
“Ovarian cancer, they used to call it the silent killer, but it actually does have signs and symptoms that can just be little whispers,” Esposito-Amery said. “Some people at times could catch it at stage one. And just like any cancer, that’s great if we can catch it early. But often, unfortunately, this disease is caught at stage three or four when the symptoms start to present themselves, and we don’t have proper screening tools.”
Symptoms of ovarian cancer include vague, persistent and unexplained gastrointestinal discomfort, abdominal bloating or swelling, frequent urination, back pain, unexplained changes in bowel habits, or weight gain or loss. Patients, especially those with a family history of ovarian cancer, should ask their OB/GYN for a CA125 blood test, transvaginal ultrasound or vaginal/rectal pelvic exam during their annual exam.
One in 78 women is at risk of developing ovarian cancer, and approximately 21,980 women a year are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the United States alone. Around 14,270 will die from the disease, which has a five-year survival rate of 50.8%. However, if detected and treated early, the five-year survival rate is over 92%.
“So by someone being informed and asking their doctor for those things, maybe you’ll catch a red flag,” Esposito-Amery explained. “Maybe there’ll be some kind of sign combined with the symptoms that someone is having that can get us to an earlier diagnosis. But there is no perfect test.”
The national 501c3 non-profit has a tight budget and raises money through donations and events like the upcoming 16th Annual Brooklyn T.E.A.L. Walk/Run on Sept. 7 in Prospect Park, which has a $250,000 fundraising goal.
During her conversation with Reynoso, Esposito-Amery shared that the foundation also connects patients and survivors with resources that are beyond its scope.
“We might have someone who needs financial help, but we can’t give financial help. We’ll find them a resource that can help them with finances,” she told the beep.
In addition to the library, which contains information on awareness in ten different languages and serves as a gathering space for survivors and community members, Reynoso also got a first-hand look at the “program room.” Here, he learned that the organization also sends out chemo kits filled with items to lift the spirits of chemo patients, such as eye serum, brow pencils, head scarves, blankets and fuzzy socks.
Reynoso said he prioritized women’s health when he became borough president because it was underfunded. One of the biggest “shocks” to him was that there was no screening test for ovarian cancer, calling it a tragedy.
“We live in the 20th century, and you just assume that we figured everything out,” he said.
“These types of services are fighting for crumbs, and I just really want to bring as much attention to it as possible,” he told Brooklyn Paper. “We have done a lot of great work on maternal health so far. This is another example of being able to expand that work when it comes to women’s health and ovarian cancer.”
Reynoso said organizations like T.E.A.L. were “deeply important,” bringing dignity and value to human life.
“I just think in a trying time, in a difficult time in someone’s life, they’re looking for support, they are looking for an outlet,” said Reynoso, who assured he will use his position as borough president to spread the word about ovarian cancer education and awareness, especially during Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
“Borough Hall has a great platform, and we really can expand the message and make sure that we bring awareness to ovarian cancer, whether it’s lighting up [Borough Hall] or participating in the work that [T.E.A.L.] is going to be doing in September,” Reynoso said.
He also pledged to run the 5K on Sept. 7.
“It’s very little effort for me to be able to run, and that makes it so that there’s any attention being brought to this issue; it is a joy for me,” Reynoso said.
To help T.E.A.L. reach its $250,000 fundraising goal, you can register for the walk/run here. To learn more about T.E.A.L.’s mission, visit their website at telleveryamazinglady.org.
