Marlboro High school student Katerina Calderone is on a mission to bring awareness to gynecologic cancers.

“Both of my grandmothers are survivors of ovarian and gynecological cancer, so it is close to my heart,” she said.

Her grandmother, Janet Felicello, who has shown Katerina special support, is a 17 year survivor and her other grandmother, Connie Calderone, is a 5 year survivor.

Last week Calderone informed the Town Board that approximately 30,000 women die out of 98,000 diagnosed annually from some form of gynecological cancer, with ovarian cancer proving the most deadly with only a 47% survival rate. She said symptoms for these cancers are often “silent and can be misinterpreted as gastrointestinal issues and unlike other cancers there is no preventative testing such as mammograms or colonoscopies.”

Calderone explained to the board that in the next few weeks she wants to hang colored ribbons near local businesses in Marlboro and Milton, with their permission, to bring attention to this issue. She has nearly 40 ribbons so far that she will put up.

“They are teal and purple and some of them are going to be bows and some are going to be ribbons, depending on where we can tie them,” she said. “Stapled to them is a little card that says National Ovarian and National Gynecologic Cancer Month, which is September.” She said the ribbons will come down by early October.

Supervisor Al Lanzetta thanked Calderone for bringing this to the attention of the Town Board, who fully support Calderone’s project.

“I think it’s a great service that you are doing and I commend you for it,” he said. “You definitely have our OK and full steam ahead, as they say.”
Calderone credits her mother with the idea, “because she has seen other towns do things, so she wanted to start it in our town and my sister, my Dad and my grandparents have also been helping.”

Calderone hopes more woman will get checked if they are experiencing any symptoms. For additional information or to show your support, she can be reached at 845-236-4662.