Sometimes we question what life is all about when we lose someone that we love.  And during the struggle to find the meaning, we are comforted by loving memories and our efforts to reach out to help others.  The purpose of this website is to help remember my mother, Carol Ballard, and lead others to a place where they can learn about preventing ovarian cancer, the terrible disease that took her life. 

My sisters, Carrie Bean and Denise Engebrecht, my father, Ben Ballard, and I all have tried to understand why such a wonderful mother and wife could lose her life to ovarian cancer at the young age of 60.  Mom was diagnosed with the disease on January 17, 2000, and fought it for a year and a half.  The exhausting experience finally took her life on June 4, 2001. 

After mom's death, we searched for an ovarian cancer research foundation focused on education and prevention to help fulfill her wishes to better educate women about the early signs of ovarian cancer to reduce the number diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease.  We found what we were looking for when we came across the Lynne Cohen Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research.

There is so much work that remains in spreading the word about ovarian cancer, but our hope is that someday a cure will be found.  Recent media reports about a new blood test offer hope that more ovarian cancer patients will be diagnosed in the early stages, when treatment is most effective.  Our family remains hopeful that the blood test will lead to an early-detection test for ovarian cancer in the next few years

The following pages are a collection of our memories of Carol Ballard.  I want to share them with anyone who is interested in her life.  I have included my speech from the funeral along with others.  I hope you get a sense of the love and joy she brought into our lives as you read through them.  I will always remember my mom with loving thoughts, may she rest in peace.

We would love to have you learn more about the Lynne Cohen Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research as well as the Clinical Trials currently underway.  Additionally, if you would like to learn how you too can set up a memorial fund for a loved one, The Lynne Cohen Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research welcomes your questions and comments.