Shop 'Treasures For Teal' To Benefit Chatham Woman’s Campaign

CHATHAM, NJ — After Gail MacNeil was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1997, she came up with the “Turn The Towns Teal” campaign, with the mission to raise awareness about a cancer that’s normally treatable, but can be fatal for those who miss small and initial warning signs.

The campaign continues in memory of MacNeil, a Chatham resident, who passed away in 2008. On Saturday in Mendham “Treasures for Teal,” a shopping event to benefit the campaign, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Brookside Community Club on 1 East Main Street, in Brookside.

Art, jewelry, collectibles, home items, gadgets and more are among the many items for purchase on Saturday during the cash-only shopping benefit.

Attendees who come may park in the Community Club's lot or at the municipal parking lot on Cherry Lane.

Proceeds are planned to help the "Turn The Towns Teal," awareness-raising campaign — a 501c3 non-profit organization — that sends teal ribbons, posters, brochures and other information to 465 people currently registered within all 50 states across the United States, who are helping with the campaign. These individuals turn neighborhoods "teal" in September — the month when ovarian cancer awareness is raised — with the goal of alerting women about the quiet symptoms that typically creep up with this type of cancer.

"The dedication of our volunteers has saved lives," said Jane MacNeil, the president of the campaign and Gail MacNeil’s sister-in-law.

Gail MacNeil fought ovarian cancer for a decade after receiving the news that she had Stage IIIC ovarian cancer, having brought her symptoms to her doctor, which were reportedly dismissed "as merely the onset of middle age."

"You have to know the symptoms and there's no conclusive test," Jane MacNeil said of the diagnostics to make an ovarian cancer diagnosis. "She [Gail MacNeil] knew all too well that there was not enough known about the symptoms and risk factors; and she wanted to spare others what she and her family endured."

Statistically, Jane MacNeil said, if detected early enough, the success rate to treat ovarian cancer ranges between 90 and 95 percent.

Turn The Towns Teal presents the possible symptoms of what could be ovarian cancer on its website, which the organization advocates women should follow up on, stating the traditional Pap test will not detect it. Among them, a woman should speak to her doctor if she's experiencing one or a combination of the following symptoms for up to two weeks: urinary urgency or frequency, bloating, abdominal or pelvic pain, feeling full quickly after eating, difficulty eating, unexplained weight gain or loss, back pain, pain during intimacy, changes in her menstrual cycle and persistent exhaustion.

Risks factors for ovarian cancer, the site also indicates, may be due to a woman aging, if she was on hormone replacement therapy, if she has the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes and if she has a history of infertility or family history of ovarian, colon or breast cancers.

For more information about Turn The Towns Teal, visit www.turnthetownsteal.org.

Questions or comments about this story? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.