Teal is not only a color, but also a representation of the life of Therese Wisdom, who died Nov. 19, 2023, from ovarian cancer.
Through her legacy, her husband, Don Wisdom, and their two sons, Brian and Andrew, established Teal Wisdom to support women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Their first stand-alone fundraising event, a cornhole tournament, took place on Saturday at Lucky Luke Brewing Company.
“We work to provide information, support and treatment services for ovarian cancer patients and their families,” according to the nonprofit’s mission statement.
According to an information sheet provided by Teal Wisdom, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. for women.
“Ovarian cancer accounts for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. A woman’s risk of getting ovarian cancer in her lifetime is 1 in 87 and risk of dying from ovarian cancer is 1 in 130. Over 19,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the U.S. in 2024, and over 12,000 women will die from ovarian cancer,” according to the handout.
In addition, ovarian cancer is often detected in the later stages, where symptoms appear when the cancer has spread to other organs, making the disease both difficult to treat and deadly.
“We really are trying to push awareness for how we can help women patients throughout the county, starting here in Santa Clarita. We’re here today having a lot of fun, doing some cornhole, having some drinks and a good time with the people that came up to support,” Brian said.
According to Brian, the organization became a 501(c)(3) in May, but began its efforts as early as January of this year. Teal Wisdom’s first event entailed a Relay for Life booth in May.
“Seeing so many people that have been affected and coming to support us has been very inspiring. Having the ability to get people to know about ovarian cancer, as well as focusing on helping patients that are going through it, both in the hospital and outside, is our goal,” Brian said.
As the organization is growing, Brian is looking forward to creating new events to build the foundation, starting with events in Santa Clarita.
“We’re excited about two big things: I think our next big thing will be a golf tournament, as well as trying to build the team, the foundation, and everything about it, to help the community, then the state, then the country,” Brian said.
According to Don, his wife died two and a half months after being diagnosed.
“Her entire life was, ‘What action are you going to take, Don? What are you going to do?’ She pushed me through my entire life,” Don said. “She’s talking to me right now and she’s saying, ‘What are you going to do to help other women that have the same disease that I have? How are you going to help them?’ So that’s what we’re committed to doing.”
