Butterfly release will honor and remember women affected by ovarian cancer

The Ovarian Cancer Coalition of Central SC (OCC) will hold the annual butterfly release for ovarian cancer September 22 (5:30 pm) at the SC State House to raise awareness of this deadly disease. The Cathy B. Novinger Butterfly Release for Ovarian Cancer is named for the organization’s founder who lost her life to the disease in 2016. September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Participants will release hundreds of butterflies in memory or honor of a relative or friend who has been affected by ovarian cancer and other female-related cancers.

Ovarian cancer survivors release the butterflies into the evening sky.

Each year almost 20,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and of those more than 14,000 will lose their lives. One in 78 women will develop some form of ovarian cancer in their lifetime.

Ovarian cancer is called “the disease that whispers”, because women may not recognize the symptoms that signal the onset. It is one of the deadliest cancers among women, often detected too late to be cured. If detected early, ovarian cancer has a 93% five-year survival rate. The survival rate drops below 25% for five-year survival for those who are in stage 3 and 5% for those diagnosed in stage 4. Ovarian cancer is not detected through pap smear examinations.

Proceeds from the event help further the organization’s mission of educating women in the Midlands about ovarian cancer. For more information or to purchase a butterfly, go to www.ovariancancermidlands.org.