OVACOME 25 YEARS OF A SPECIAL CHARITY

An absorbing and sometimes moving story of the creation and development of the UK's first and foremost ovarian cancer support charity, Ovacome. In 1996, Sarah Dickinson, a recently diagnosed sufferer from ovarian cancer, could not find any support group or even much in the way of information for herself and her husband. With great courage and determination she set about the creation of a new charity, Ovacome, to fill that void. Working with a small group of friends, often from her kitchen table at home in Ealing, London, she managed to gain almost immediate publicity for the charity, leading to an avalanche of enquiries and support from many women and men across the country. This book celebrates Sarah's achievements and the work of the Ovacome team since inception as it has provided many thousands of individuals with information, support and guidance in dealing with ovarian cancer. Over the 25 year period of Ovacome's history many individuals have made exceptional contributions to its work. Some of these amazing contributions are related in these pages, under the heading Ovacome's 'heroines and heroes'. Advances in diagnostics and treatment of the disease are outlined, in layman's terms, in dedicated chapters covering three time specified periods: 1996-2000, 2001-2010, 2011-2021. But mostly the book aims to celebrate the enormous achievements of Ovacome in providing information, support and guidance to many thousands of individuals impacted by this relatively uncommon disease.