As an active mother of three, Lori had always put the priorities of her family before her own even when she felt something was wrong. After months of discomfort, Lori finally talked to her doctor during her annual gynecological exam. She outlined her symptoms and went in for special tests. Stage IIIC ovarian cancer was confirmed. Blindsided and heart-broken, Lori immediately chose to fight, as well as to help all women and all future women affected by the disease.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer are not obvious. In fact, many are what you might consider minor discomforts such as bloating, lack of energy and loss of appetite. When ovarian cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, the survival rate eclipses the 90 percent mark. However, only 20 percent of all cases are detected at this stage. With no early detection test, vague symptoms are the only warning signs. That’s why Lori launched the Newk’s Cares initiative in 2014. It became her life mission to improve the rate of early diagnosis by funding research and creating greater awareness about the early symptoms of ovarian cancer. Newk’s Cares has raised $2.5 million for Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) the largest global organization dedicated to advancing ovarian cancer research while supporting women and their families.