By Ruth Rovner
For the Wire
In early September, Carla Donato was on an unusual mission in Lower Moreland Township. She was tying teal blue ribbons on lamp posts, trees and even on traffic lights.
“We had permission from the township, and we were putting them up everywhere,” she explained.
A Huntingdon Valley resident, Donato was participating in a national campaign called “Get Real With Teal.” Teal blue is the color representing ovarian cancer, just as pink is the color for breast cancer, and September was National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
Along with ribbons, Donato and others put up posters listing the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer because they are often overlooked or mistaken for other ailments.
It’s all part of an effort to raise awareness of this disease, the deadliest of all gynecological cancers. And in 2007, when she was just 31, Donato herself was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer.
It’s unusual for a woman this young to be stricken, but not unusual for this cancer to be diagnosed when it’s in the later stages. Symptoms are subtle — often considered “silent” — and they are often overlooked or misdiagnosed.
Donato was totally unprepared for the shock of this diagnosis.
“I woke up from surgery to see the sad faces of my husband and family,” she recalled. “When the doctor gave me the news, I was completely devastated. And I was angry, too. I felt fine. I almost thought he had the wrong patient.”
Her treatment started with a complete hysterectomy (uterus and both ovaries removed), followed by four months of intensive chemotherapy.
“What hit me hardest was mourning my fertility,” she says. “With ovarian cancer, you’re not only facing cancer but also the loss of fertility. I felt anxiety, depression — every single emotion out there.”
Her husband and family members tried their best to be supportive.
“Everyone was trying to give me the help I needed, but it was so difficult,” she admits.
A turning point came when she learned about the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation. The nonprofit, based in Delaware County, is named in memory of a young woman diagnosed with the disease at age 32.
Donato met the founders — Rollman’s sister and nurse — when she participated in her first major Rollman Foundation event, the “Sandy Sprint”, a 5k walk or run held in Fairmount Park each April.
It draws over 4,000 participants each year, including cancer patients and survivors, their friends and families, and those who come to honor the memory of a victim.
Donato’s friends formed a 60-person team. Even though she was weak from grueling chemotherapy treatment, Donata joined her teammates for most of the walk and did the rest in a wheelchair.
“It was inspirational to see so many people joining in the fight against ovarian cancer,” she said.
Afterward, she had a chance to get acquainted with the two Rollman Foundation founders. “There was an immediate connection,” she recalled. “They were young and full of passion for the cause.”
Since then, Donato’s involvement with the Rollman Foundation has been so noteworthy that in 2012 she was honored with the group’s Spirit of Survivorship Award.
“It was a total surprise,” said Donato, who was presented with the award at the Teal Gala, an annual fundraising event held in September.
It’s been seven years since Donato’s diagnosis. She feels fortunate that her life is back to normal. Trained as a pharmacist, she works as a medical liaison to a pharmaceutical company. But ovarian cancer is still a presence in her life.
Like other survivors, she must be monitored regularly. “But thankfully, I’m stabilized,” she said.
Although she never would have wished to have this disease, it has given her a new perspective.
“It’s helped me realize how precious each day is, how precious my life is,” Donato reflected. “I appreciate the blessings of each day so much more than before.”
For information about the Rollman Foundation, call 610–446–2272 or visit www.sandyovarian.org.
