Ovarian Cancer Awareness Tag-- In Memory of Joan

This tag's primary mission is to travel the world raising awareness about Ovarian Cancer, which took Joan from us far too soon (while her children, including MrsNolan, were still very young).  Pictures are always more than welcome!  Sunflowers and the colour teal are symbols of hope in the fight against ovarian cancer, so we would love to see our tag with those things.

Because this tag is being sent out in memory of a specific woman, it would be pretty cool if it could eventually visit some of the places that were important in her life:

-Cambridge, Ontario, Canada (especially the Hespeler area where Joan was raised and lived at the time of her death)

-Baden, Ontario, Canada

-Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (especially the McMaster/Chedoke area and Pier 4 Park)

-Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (especially the Hog's Back)

-Sudbury (and/or Val Caron), Ontario, Canada

-Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

-Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada

-Atlanta, Georgia, USA

This Awareness Tag is being sent out into the world in honour and in memory of Joan, who was MrsNolan's mother.  She died when MrsNolan was still very young and although Mrs doesn't remember her mother very well most of the time, she misses her dearly.  MrNolan regrets that he will never get to meet and know his mother-in-law.  

A Bit About Joan

Joan was a wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt, cousin, friend... She was a medical scientist, a seamstress, and a passionate advocate for education.  She loved ice cream (Chapman's Dutch Chocolate was her favourite), chocolate, and tea (Red Rose Orange Pekoe was her favourite).  Her time on Earth was very short, but those who knew her (and through her work and advocacy, even some who didn't) are better for it. 

Ovarian Cancer Awareness

Ovarian Cancer is the deadliest of the "women's cancers."  If caught early, ovarian cancer has a high survival rate, but as symptoms are vague and there is no reliable screening/early detection test, it is rarely caught early.  There have been no significant changes to ovarian cancer survival rates in more than fifty years.  Symptoms include pelvic/abdominal pain, bloating, back pain, upset stomach, frequent urge to urinate, and trouble eating or feeling full unusually quickly when eating.  The signs are easy to dismiss, both for sufferers and medical professionals, so be aware and advocate for yourself if it becomes necessary.  Any person who has ovaries is at risk of developing ovarian cancer, but more specific risk factors include: having a known BRCA gene mutation, having a family history of ovarian cancer, and being of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage.