Teal Butterfly
Ovarian cancer is known as the silent killer. It is the most deadly of all the “women’s” cancers.
| Ovarian cancer has no screening test, no cure, and very little funding for research -- but if caught early enough chances of survival increase. Women need to listen to their bodies and know the symptoms. Knowledge is power! Recognizing the symptoms of ovarian cancer can allow a woman to be diagnosed at an earlier stage; being diagnosed at an earlier stage can almost double the chances of survival. We need to educate ourselves and our girls. We owe it our future generations! |
| Our family experienced first hand this silent destructive disease mid September of 2022 as my wife, Laurel, was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. On September 12, an oncoming vehicle hydroplaned coming towards Laurel, and she could not avoid the head-on collision. While she was at the ER, the ER doc discovered two large masses on the CT scan. The ER doc was very concerned and set up an appointment with an oncologist. Laurel and I met with the oncologist on September 15, the Thursday after the wreck and she too was very concerned. After blood work, CT scan review and an exam, the oncologist determined Laurel needed surgery ASAP to remove the masses and a full hysterectomy. During her successful surgery, they removed two grapefruit size malignant tumors and also found cancer on her abdominal wall and the surface of her bladder. We received the complete pathology report the following Thursday evening and it confirmed everything the oncologist discovered during surgery plus there were actually diseased cells on her uterus. While Laurel was recovering from surgery, she started her chemo journey with six rounds scheduled, one every 21 days. |
A few days after Laurel made it home, while recovering from surgery, she received a Butterfly Box in the mail from Teal Butterfly. It was the first of several thoughtful gifts she would receive during the following weeks but this was incredibly special. Laurel opened the box and said "Keith....Who is Keith?" What she didn't know was Keith Isenberg, owner of Blood, Sweat, Gears Bicycle in Denver, had so very kindly reached out to me and asked if he could send Laurel one of their Butterfly Boxes from Teal Butterfly. As she opened the box, she started balling as the feeling of joining a select group of special women, women diagnosed with ovarian cancer, started to truly sit in. Keith and his mother Robin started Robin's Ride for Hope, after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, to help bring awareness to ovarian cancer and support Teal Butterfly. After a 3 1/2 year battler with cancer, Keith's mother passed away in August of 2015. Keith has continued to host the event in honor of his mother and raise thousands of dollars for Teal Butterfly. Our goal with the Summer Shootout is to do the same as Keith, pay it forward by educating and creating awareness about ovarian cancer and raise money to pay for Butterfly Boxes.
| By the way, if mixing it up at the Summer Short Track Shootout isn't your cup of tea but you want to support Teal Butterfly, check out Keith's memorial ride called Robin's Ride for Hope on Saturday, August 13. |  |
Neal Boyd
Summer Short Track Race Director
