From the family & friends of Elizabeth Gillespie

What to watch for and what to do...

Won’t you join us?

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Do You Love Life?
The Elizabeth Gillespie Fund for Life

• Every fifteen minutes a woman who loves life – a sister, daughter, aunt, mother, grandmother or girlfriend – is diagnosed with uterine cancer.
  
  
• That's over 100 women a day – and more than 38,000 in 2001 alone.
  
  
• When detected early, the cure rate for uterine cancer is about 75%.
  

Through education, early detection and prevention, you can safeguard your health and potentially save your own life… as well as pass the word along to other women whose lives you treasure.

From the family & friends of Elizabeth Gillespie:
One of the most devastating things to happen in any lifetime is to lose a loved one to a terminal illness – as we have lost our friend to uterine cancer.

Elizabeth was a vivacious and dynamic woman – known for her boundless energy, adventurous spirit and can-do attitude. A savvy marketing entrepreneur, she successfully operated two businesses: The Gillespie Group (management consultants) and Bellissima Tours (a private tour service).

Elizabeth juggled her busy professional life with an equally strong commitment to community service. She served on the boards of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and Episcopal Community Services, and was an active committee member for both the Institute of Management Consultants and St. Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church (San Francisco).

A lifelong advocate of women’s health and a personal fitness devotee, Elizabeth began having what was diagnosed as menopausal problems in the spring of 1998. After a year with no relief from the remedies prescribed, she was seen by a physician who discovered and diagnosed her uterine cancer. She died August 10, 2000 following two painful surgeries and months of chemotherapy – leaving family and friends wondering: What if Elizabeth had only been diagnosed earlier?

It is in her memory and fighting spirit we seek to give others the most important gift: life.

As you read this, think of a woman whose life you treasure – and pass this brochure information on to her.

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What to watch for…

Know the warning signs:

• Unusual bleeding
• Frequent bleeding
• Clots or ‘Floods’
• Bloating
• Indigestion
  

What to do…

• Get to know your family medical history
• Conduct an online cancer risk assessment at www.wcn.org
• Educate yourself about uterine cancer
• Schedule annual visits to your Gynecologist and/or contact a Gynecologic Oncologist for early diagnosis and treatment.
• Make your health your first priority and seeking the most up-to-date information from reputable medical resources.
  

  Ask direct questions, clearly and openly discuss any unusual symptoms or concerns, and be assertive in asking for laboratory tests and procedures to rule out problems.
  

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Won’t you join us?

You may also mail a donation to:
“The Elizabeth Gillespie Fund for Life c/o GCF”
Gynecologic Cancer Foundation
401 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL
60606-4267

Volunteer to organize a fundraiser in your community or to become involved in our organization. For information, contact one of the members of the Fund's Board of Directors:

Are you a survivor of uterine (endometrial) cancer? We'd like to add more stories to the Women's Cancer Network site. Visit The Women's Cancer Network Suvivors section for ideas. Or contact Dawn or Jackie (above) for help with writing your story. Help us give hope!

The pink rose symbolizes the pledge made to Elizabeth that we would pursue life and health for ourselves and for all women.