Walking to the dining hall on Monday morning, I noticed a teal and white Harley Davidson motorcycle with a license plate saying “TEAL”. Things like that make me smile and as it’s her favorite color, I made a note to tell Amy about it.

Later in the morning, I passed that same cabin. All the other motorcycles had departed for rides on various scenic routes in that portion of Maine, but the teal Harley was still there. There was a woman on the porch, setting a few things out and I asked if it was hers. It was, and I told her how seeing her bike earlier had made me smile.

And that’s how I met Donna Wiegle.

It turns out teal isn’t Donna’s favorite color — teal is the color for ovarian cancer awareness. (I wasn’t previously aware of this, but every cancer has an awareness color.)

Before I go any further, I feel I should acknowledge the cancer survivors among my friends. Too many to enumerate them all. Some are fighting it right now (Chris), some are recently in remission (Jen), some have been in remission for years (Mike), and some are gone but will absolutely never be forgotten (Angela and Larry).

The moment you decided to fight this thing, in my eyes you became a kick-ass warrior. You are fighting a battle I hope to never experience and I have nothing but love and respect for you.

Donna took kick-ass to an even higher level.

Donna tells her story on the Teal on Wheels site, but in a nutshell: in 2016, she was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. The prognosis was that she had five years to live, and as she told me, the last two years were probably going to be miserable.

Adding to that, one side-effect of the chemotherapy was neuropathy, leaving her unable to walk; and the odds of the treatment being successful were only 5-10%. So she quit chemotherapy after week 10.

In 2019, she bought a teal and white 2016 Harley Davidson Heritage Classic and shipped it to Oregon. She had three goals:

• Ride from Oregon back to Maine
• Raise $50,000 for cancer support organizations
• Raise awareness by distributing cards with Ovarian Cancer Signs and Symptoms to people she met along the way.

The Teal on Wheels Ovarian Cancer Awareness Tour was a success. Donna made it home after 40 days on the road, riding 6,198 miles through 19 states. She exceeded her fundraising goal, and distributed more than 700 symptom cards.

Donna is now nine years into that five year prognosis. She’s still riding, and I very much look forward to meeting her again.

Ovarian Cancer Signs and Symptoms

Keep reading. If you’re a woman, you need to be aware. If you’re a man, odds are that you know a woman or two. Perhaps you have a wife, daughter, girlfriend or mother? They need to be aware too.

This is a copy of the cards Donna distributed on her ride. You can click it for a higher resolution version.

There is no effective screening or early-detection test for ovarian cancer. The Pap test does not detect ovarian cancer.

Know the signs and symptoms. If symptoms continue for two weeks, contact a doctor immediately. If cancer is suspected, consult a gynecologic oncologist.

Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer:

• Bloating
• Pelvic or Abdominal Pain
• Trouble eating or feeling full quickly
• Urinary Frequency
• Pain during sex
• Back pain
• Fatigue
• Menstrual changes
• Upset Stomach, heartburn, or constipation

For more information on ovarian cancer, visit the National Ovarian Cancer Coaltion at https://ovarian.org/

And please, share this information with the women in your life.