Meaningful and Motivating
This summer, the goal of my internship was to expand Sharsheret’s Ovarian Cancer Program. Ovarian cancer can be difficult to detect, since many of its symptoms can be attributed to common illnesses. As a result, most ovarian cancers are unfortunately diagnosed at advanced stages. Additionally, there is not enough information available for women newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer or for ovarian cancer survivors; but Sharsheret plans to change that. My main project this summer was to develop a Thriving Again survivorship kit for ovarian cancer survivors. The kit provides women with the opportunity to learn more about survivorship and to create a personalized survivorship care plan. Women can request culturally-relevant information that is tailored for their ovarian cancer journey, such as materials on the fear of recurrence, caregiver support, and exercise during treatment. This kit will bridge the gap in available information for ovarian cancer survivors and provide women with the support they need during their ovarian cancer journey. The Thriving Again kit is now available for preorder, so contact Sharsheret if you’re interested in receiving your kit this fall.
To spread the word about Sharsheret’s Ovarian Cancer Program, I also developed a plan and conducted outreach to prepare for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in September. I was in contact with hospitals that serve women with ovarian cancer, organizations having events in September, and other groups interested in learning more about Sharsheret. These connections foster collaboration with other ovarian cancer organizations and disseminate information about Sharsheret to communities across the country. Hopefully, more women will know that they can turn to Sharsheret for ovarian cancer resources and support.
Working at Sharsheret this summer has been especially meaningful and motivating for me, as I started my internship one week after the passing of Rochelle Shoretz, Sharsheret’s founder. I have seen firsthand how Sharsheret continues to go above and beyond to provide meaningful support to women during this difficult time. I feel privileged to have been a part of Sharsheret’s dedicated and passionate team, and look forward to seeing Sharsheret continue to grow and serve women facing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.