Powell-Drescher Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation

Break Through Cancer 2022 Conference in Kiawah Island, SC.

"I have found an inexorable determination among the scientists, physicians and patient
advocates within the ovarian cancer research community that is unique in its willingness
and passion to work together to bring about an end to this terrible disease. So what can
you do to help? Bringing this vision to fruition will take more than just passion and
that is why I am thrilled to express my support for the Powell-Drescher Ovarian Cancer
Research Foundation, who are doing the critical work of raising funds to drive breakthrough
research for this historically underfunded disease. At the same time, the Powell-Drescher
Foundation is unique in its emphasis on promoting an ongoing dialogue between scientists
and ovarian cancer survivors to guide the research toward real world solutions that will best
address the needs of the patients. I urge you to stand with us and be part of the solution to
ending ovarian cancer."

Thomas R. Pisanic II PhD MS
Research Professor
Johns Hopkins University

OUR STORY

In 2010, Sachia Stonefeld Powell attended a fundraiser at which gynecological oncologist Dr. Charles Drescher was the keynote speaker. Dr. Drescher’s speech inspired Sachia to begin raising funds for ovarian cancer research. Six years later that fundraising effort became personal when Sachia herself was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and her physician-patient collaboration with Dr. Drescher began.

read the rest

"Every important scientific study we have done has started with gifts from philanthropic foundations such as the Powell-Drescher Foundation, and been developed with the support of patient advocates. This new foundation means new opportunities to improve the outcomes of patients with ovarian cancer.”

- Ronald John Buckanovich, MD, PhD, Magee-Women's Research Institute and Hillman Cancer Center

meet scientists and survivors

The mission of the Powell-Drescher Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation is to power the future of ovarian cancer research by endowing funds and championing collaboration between scientist and survivor.

To champion collaboration, we are sending an ovarian cancer advocate to the Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Academy annual retreat to be held September 18-19, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. While there, the advocate will learn about cancer research and interact with scientists, doctors, health professionals, and other advocates. Applications are due by midnight (PST) on May 15, 2024.

April showers bring May flowers. . . and ovarian cancer awareness!

Not only is the month of May celebrated for its floral abundance, it also happens to be the month for World Ovarian Cancer Day (May 8) and Mother’s Day (May 12). We’re celebrating all things May with a great way to help us POWER the future of ovarian cancer research while spreading a little awareness of ovarian cancer and a lot of May cheer. Purchase our May Day boxes and we’ll take care of the rest. Choose:

The Big TEAL Box – contains a beautiful teal silk scarf by Silk & Soul (perfect for tying in your hair, on your wrist, or around the handles of your favorite spring handbag), and a perfect paper bloom from Farren Celeste nestled in a teal bud vase. – $65.00 (of which $35.00 is a tax deductible donation). 
Spring FLORAL Box – contains a perfect paper bloom from Farren Celeste nestled in a teal bud vase. – $40.00 (of which $25.00 is a tax deductible donation).

In fine May-day fashion, we’ll deliver your boxes in the greater Seattle area on May 3 or 5, or ship them anywhere in the United States in time for Mother’s Day (if ordered by May 1st). This is the perfect time to deliver a May Day bloom to a teacher, neighbors, friends or loved ones. Raise spirits and raise awareness of the need to fund further research and strengthen collaboration between scientists and survivors.

Many thanks to Silk & Soul and Farren Celeste for answering our May Day call!

We believe that the input of ovarian cancer survivors to ongoing research is critical to its success.

Ovarian cancer survivors bring immense value to the research process but may lack the confidence to become involved, or understand how to reach the scientists.

Scientists have few avenues by which to meet survivors, yet the grant awards process increasingly benefits from (and sometimes requires) survivor involvement.

The Powell-Drescher Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation is working to bridge these gaps, and raise research money to combat this deadly disease.

You can read more here:

Ovarian cancer survivor Anna Hedden attended her first scientific conference in October, participating in the DOD Ovarian Cancer Academy Retreat and the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Ovarian Cancer.

Here are her powerful thoughts on the experience:

Having been previously involved with ovarian cancer advocacy on a legislative side only, I have to admit, I was a bit intrigued by two questions prior to arriving at the conferences. First, could my voice truly offer a different perspective to a scientist-survivor collaboration? After all, I was about to enter a room full of very accomplished physicians and scientists. And second, was it really possible for me to tell such a highly knowledgeable audience anything they didn’t already know about ovarian cancer? Well, looking back at my experiences, the answer to both questions is resounding “Yes”, and I couldn’t have felt more humbled and honored to have had an opportunity to share my story, and to contribute my insights and points of view. I can truthfully say I felt genuinely embraced by the entire scientists-physicians community at both events.

In addition to the incredible privilege of sharing my synchronous cancers journey, I also came away from both conferences with deep sense of purpose, clarity of vision, and unwavering commitment to continue to pursue research advocacy. Meeting, and having an opportunity to learn from and interact with so many physicians and scientists not only enriched my understanding of the GYN cancers space but, also, opened my eyes and exposed me to the frightening vacuum of unmet needs within the ovarian cancer landscape. Something that I intuitively suspected but could not quite articulate prior to attending both conferences in Boston.

All the knowledge, interactions, and education I received truly crystallized and reinforced my most profound beliefs that, in the context of ovarian cancer, and all of its rare tumor types and subtypes, conversations in our society about “Underserved Communities” and “Lack of Access” cannot simply be limited to the issues of demographics. Of course, these are very important conversations to be had and, more importantly, vitally needed actions to be implemented, so that the barriers are as much as possible minimized and, ultimately, eliminated. But that alone would not address the needs of the ovarian cancer patients (and families) whose tumor profiles, at present time, simply do not have any targeted treatment options. And that is, more than anything, what is driving my advocacy passion going forward. Speaking up and out for Anyone, who doesn’t have a fair chance to succeed, so that Everyone (no matter their tumor profile) would have an equal chance to survive!

In that context, one could make a strong argument that entire ovarian cancer, as a disease, is an “Underserved Community”. And only: (1) firm commitment to continued research, (2) prioritizing increased and thoughtfully targeted funding, and (3) powerfully vocal and skilled advocacy can bring us closer to making this disease survivable for all (urgently needed!) and, hopefully, curable (some day).

See our research advocacy page for more information on our research advocacy efforts:

Scientists studying ovarian cancer: We plan to announce a research funding opportunity soon! Email us at hello@powelldrescher.org to be notified or check back here!

See Sachia's presentation at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) here:

See Sachia's interviews with the Video Journal of Oncology here:

1 in 78 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

1 in 2 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will die from their disease.

Ovarian cancer diagnoses
(worldwide, since January 31, 2017)

Ovarian cancer deaths
(worldwide, since January 31, 2017)

January 31, 2017 is when Sachia was diagnosed.

1990 - Deaths/Diagnoses

0 /100

2019 - Deaths/Diagnoses

0 /100

Don’t let another 30 years pass without significant change.

Sachia, a patient and an energetic advocate for ovarian cancer research, and Dr. Drescher, a dedicated clinician and researcher, share something profound: Together, through collaboration, the physician and the patient, the scientist and the survivor, have the power to change the statistics.

Our tax exempt status pursuant to 501(c)(3) has been approved and is retroactive to our date of formation, May 17, 2022. Donations made after that date may be treated as tax-deductible contributions.

EIN: 88-2355055

We can’t wait to hear from you!

12345 Lake City Way NE, #2201
Seattle, WA 98125
hello@powelldrescher.org

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Power Team Members

These team members helped us POWER ON by donating before September 30, 2022:

Individuals

Joanne Abelson
Shawna & Glenn Ader
Jennifer Akin
Jenny Aleksich
Aimee & Aimee Amaral
Kristin Anderson & Justin Taylor
Natasha Averill
Siobhan & Sean Baird
Grant Bailey
JoAnn Bailey
Kristin Bailey
Sally Bailey
The Barbo Family
Amber & Fred Beckman
Deborah Binder
Kathy Jo Blake
Craig Bray
Stacey Bailey Brown and Bill Brown
Becky Bruhn
Judith Burkhart
Molly Caulfield
Chris Chang & Eric Han
Robert Chicione Law
Carol Olivia Holden Chilcoat
Audrey Clarke
Sarah Conlon
Laura Coon
Valerie & John Courtney
Elizabeth & David Crouch
Anna Davis & Kevin Scudder
Maureen Devlin
Ronny Drapkin
Robin Foster-Drescher & Charles Drescher
Shoshana Driver
Gretchen & Jon Echols
Monica Edenholm
Linda Eide
Douglas Ende
Beth Enright
Sharon Magliano Feliciano & Rick Feliciano
Sharon Fischlowitz
Staci & Dan Foster
Dallis Fox
Andrew Galdi
Gayle Golike
Charles Golden
Caroline & Peter Gorlick
Sally & John Gould
Leah Graham
Christine Gray
Byron Greene
Lauren Hadley & Tim Hambridge
Marlene & William Haffner
Stephanie Haffner
Deanna & Eve Hammond
Phyllis Herzog & Ned Porges
Robin Hornung
Kristin House
Julie & Todd Jablonski
Anthony Jeremiah
Nicolette Jessen
Nathalia Jimenez & Hernando Olivar
Myskal Kanietova
Stephen Kilbreath
Marilyn Knauf
Elizabeth Koehler
Liselotte Koenig
Suzanne Kolb & Bruce Waltar
Sarah Kolpacoff
Sarah Krauss
Sanya Lawless
Sharon Leinweber
Titania Limanardia & Nino Yuniardi
Jadelyn Lippmann
Sharilyn Lippmann
Susun & Scott Livingston
Christine Logar & Alex Veress
Catherine Maher
Dana Manciagli
Jennifer Mark
Marsha Matsumoto
Ann & Dave McCrea
KK & Jonathan McGuire
Ann & Robin Melvin
Erika & Brad Merlino
Alex Miller
Karen Miller
Johnlyn & Vince Miller
Vivian Miller-Rahl
Andrea Mizer
Dana Monson
Paula Moreschi & Joe Myers
Stephanie & Chuck Mortimer
Merilyn Moss & Michael Prittie
Tracy & Bob Myers
Trish & Jim Myers
Tina Nabseth
Sarah Neyhart & Jonathan McCoy
Eleanor Okeefe
Ellen Passloff
Kristy & Dave Petersen
Jenny & Tim Porter
Sachia Stonefeld & David J. Powell
Janice & Tom Powell
Linda & Mike Rackner
Tara & Todd Raymond
Marion & Mike Richards
Carol Rossel
Michelle & Dave Rudd
Tracy Sambrano
Jill Schneiderman
Cynthia Schreiber & Dan Hoying
Jenna Schuenemann
Kelsey Singleton
Bruce Siqueland
Christie Smith & Kelli Smith-Bailey
Sarah and David Staiger
Adelrun Stonefeld
Karlen & Jason Stonefeld
Steven Strachan
Timothy & Keith Studlack
BrynDel Swift
Erica Temple
Janet Waldeck
Donna Walsh
Carin Weinrich
Mary Wells
Shelley Winder-Yost & John Yost
Alison & Kirby Winfield
Dawn Yonago

Entities

All the Best Pet Care
Bakery Nouveau
Buddha Bruddah
Delfino’s Chicago Style Pizza
Elevated Ice Cream
Elizabeth Yount Morgan at Field
H & H Purveyors
Birdie Miller Designs
Kiran Dhillon Studio
Kudedon and Pane Pane Sandwiches
Macrina Bakery
Michelle Brewer with Seattle Yoga and Reiki Healing Arts
Nicole Elise Jewelry
Ravenna Gardens
Raven’s Brew Cofee
Rumba, Inside Passage & Agua Verde
Sea Creatures Restaurants
Seattle Children’s Theater
Seattle Reparatory Theater
Silverwater Café
Stephen Dale Edwards
StudioRA
Susan Singleton
The ACT Theater
The Old Consulate Inn
The Seattle Theater Group
Tutta Bella
Woodhouse Wine Estate