Fighting ovarian cancer

MISSION OF EDUCATION: Donna Ricci founded the Rhode Island Ovarian Cancer Alliance with her niece, Jessica Morris, who died of ovarian cancer. The organization aims to raise awareness of the disease. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
MISSION OF EDUCATION: Donna Ricci founded the Rhode Island Ovarian Cancer Alliance with her niece, Jessica Morris, who died of ovarian cancer. The organization aims to raise awareness of the disease. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

In October 2005 Jessica Morris was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She would only live for three years after her diagnosis, but during that time she built a legacy that continues today.

Before her death, wanting to educate the public and increase awareness of ovarian cancer, Morris, with the help of her aunt, Donna Ricci, and father, John Morris, was instrumental in founding the Rhode Island chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition in 2007.

In January 2016, Ricci and Morris formed the Cranston-based nonprofit Rhode Island Ovarian Cancer Alliance.

“We left [the national coalition] because we weren’t feeling like we made a real difference here at a local level,” said Ricci, alliance president.

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The alliance focuses on Morris’ main goals: education and awareness. It plans to integrate talks by survivors into nursing and medical students’ curricula and increase community awareness. •

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