Cancer support group founder dies at age 53

Joy Lamberson-Klock, founder of New Hope, a support organization for women with gynecological cancer and their families, died July 26 following her own struggle with ovarian cancer, the organization announced July 28. She was 53 years old.

Following her diagnosis with Stage IIIC ovarian cancer in June 2000, Lamberson-Klock began to educate herself about the disease and began to work on a plan to raise awareness of the disease within the community.

After discovering that there was no community support group to aid women with ovarian cancer, Lamberson-Klock organized a group of 12 women who were gynecological cancer survivors to meet weekly and discuss their personal stories.

New Hope was born from that group, and the organization now serves as a not-for-profit organization serving Ozarks women and their families.

The group provides support in several ways, including a mentoring program that matches a woman who has experienced the disease with a woman who is newly diagnosed.

The mentor provides support with phone calls, visits and cards, and fills other needs such as accompanying the new member to a chemotherapy treatment or helping to find resources to help with family needs.

Support meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month at the Library Center, to provide education and emotional support. Topics include cancer fatigue, community resources and physician panel discussions.

New Hope also provides financial assistance to women who are undergoing treatment or who are in the late stages of their illness.

According to the American Cancer Society's Facts & Figures 2003, a woman is diagnosed with gynecological cancer every nine minutes.

The most common gynecological cancers are cervical, endometrial, ovarian, uterine and vulvar.

Ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. With a 53 percent five-year survival rate, ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancer.

It is estimated that 25,400 ovarian cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2003, resulting in 14,300 deaths from the disease. An estimated 83,700 cases of gynecological cancer will be diagnosed in 2003 and 26,800 of those cases will end in death approximately one in every three cases.

Tammy Mast, New Hope executive director, said the organization will continue offering support to area women just as Lamberson-Klock would want.

"The unique thing about the organization is that it's survivor-driven. And really, even though I'm the executive director, I just handle the business things. As far as the members whom we help that's done a lot by the (other) members themselves," Mast said.

"We all carry her spirit to make sure that everyone is taken care of and that they don't find themselves in the position that Joy did whenever she found out that she had ovarian cancer, and tried to find support in the community and there was just nothing organized," Mast said.

"We all think so much of her because she saw the need and even through all of her illness, she organized this organization and got it started and has helped so many people," she added.

Memorial contributions can be made in Lamberson-Klock's name to New Hope at PO Box 3552, Springfield MO 65808.