Doylestown Turns The Town Teal For Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month – Patch

DOYLESTOWN, PA Doylestown has taken on the color of awareness for September thanks to more than 70 volunteers who Turned The Town Teal over the weekend.

Teal ribbons are now adorning lampposts and trees throughout the business district to make women and men aware of ovarian cancer, its often subtle symptoms and risk factors.

Im very thrilled and delighted that on this very hot day people came out to help spread this very important message to others, said former Doylestown Borough Councilwoman Joan Doyle, who has organized the event for the past 14 years and whose older sister, Anita Stein, died from thedisease.

This is all about directing attention to learning symptoms and risk factors for ovarian cancer. This campaign is geared toward women and men. They need to know for their loved ones as well, said Doyle.

Prior to heading out into the streets to turn the town teal, Doyle took a few moments to recognize survivors and to remember loved ones and friends taken by the disease. She was joined by Mayor Noni West.

Ovarian cancer is a hideous, ugly and dangerous disease and early diagnosis is really important, Mayor West told the crowd. What you are doing here today educating the public and making people aware of what they need to do is really, really important. The heroes are you today and our survivors.

Also joining Doyle and Mayor West was Jane MacNeil, the president of Turn the Towns Teal and sister-in-law of Turn the Towns Teal founder, Gail MacNeil, who has since passed away from the disease.

Each one of you are unsung heroes, she told the gathering. You never know when somebody is going to see that ribbon or get a symptom card and realize they have the symptoms and get checked out. I came up with the phrase, The earlier the diagnosis, the better the prognosis. Right now Im not only advocating for the symptoms but the risk factor of the BRCA gene. Its truly an honor to here with Joan and to see all of you rallying. I am literally blown away and I thank you. Lets go teal.

MacNeil has grown the organization to 48 states across the nation, including Doylestown which is surpassed in the number of ribbons only by Bristol, Conn.

Last year, MacNeil said more than 650 towns participated in the awareness campaign meaning that thousands and thousands of people like you are tealing throughout the USA. And what a message to spread.

Before heading out to teal the commercial core of Doylestown, Doyle recognized the Ovarian Cancer Warriors who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and have either survived or are still battling the disease. She also led the gathering in silence as the names of those lost to the disease were remembered.

MacNeil said later that she was blown away" by the Doylestown event, by the amount of people who came out to help, by the tributes that Joan paid to the survivors and to those who have lost loved ones to the disease and "to all the other people who came out to support our mission, which is awareness of the disease, its symptoms and its risk factors."

The month of September is designated as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

If symptoms persist for more than two weeks, consult a gynecologist or physician. A Pap test does not detect ovarian cancer. There is no diagnostic test. Risk factors include a genetic predisposition (BRCA1/BRAC2 gene), personal or family history of breast, ovarian or colon cancer; increasing age; reproductive history and infertility; and hormone replacement therapy.

Learn more about the Turn the Towns Teal Awareness Campaign by visiting www. turnthetownsteal.org.

Read more:
Doylestown Turns The Town Teal For Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month - Patch