Newk’s Cares: Ovarian Cancer Month

September is “Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.” Ovarian cancer hits close to home for the Newk’s family. Lori Newcomb, wife of co-founder and CEO Chris Newcomb, was diagnosed with Stage IIIC ovarian cancer in early 2013. Her story is all too familiar for many women, as one in 70 will develop this disease. Lori is the Co-Founder of Newk’s Cares, to increase awareness about the disease and raise valuable resources for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

On Friday, September 25, all four Middle Tennessee locations of Newk’s will hold “Ovarian Cancer Awareness Day.” A portion of sales will be donated from this day to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. In addition, Williamson, Inc. will hold a ribbon cutting at the new Brentwood location of Newk’s bringing additional attention to this important women’s health initiative.

Each year 200,000 women worldwide are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and 125,000 women die from this disease.

As an active mother of three, Lori has 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 – confirmed. Blindsided and heartbroken, Lori’s fight began.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer are not obvious. In fact, many are what you might consider day-to-day nuisances – 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% mark. But with no early detection test, vague symptoms are the only warning signs.

That’s why Lori started the Newk’s Cares initiative. Our goal is to improve the rate of early diagnosis by funding research and creating greater awareness about the early symptoms of ovarian cancer.

So far, the response has been incredible – the inaugural Ovarian Cycle ® Jackson event raised over $120,000 for ovarian cancer research. But there’s much more work to be done.

Everyone at Newk’s Eatery is committed to supporting ovarian cancer research and awareness, and with the support of their patrons, they aim to give every woman a fighting chance.

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