JULY 2017 38 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM {stories of perseverance} A SECOND ACT Tell the Mountain Judy Pearson | CONTRIBUTING WRITER “Don’t tell God the size of the mountain, tell the mountain the size of God.” Eight months after chemo for stage 3C ovarian cancer, and in celebration of her 60th birthday, Jan Coggins hiked 100 miles in the Swiss Alps. “That mountain quote sums up the faith I used to beat cancer and then climb the Alps,” Jan says. “My gynecologic oncologist said that I might be a little crazy when I told him I was going. But I did it anyway. My mindset was that I had beaten cancer, and the mountains were next!” Prior to her own diagnosis, Jan had never met anyone with ovarian cancer. Even during her 27- year career as a healthcare worker and a hospice volunteer, she knew nothing about ovarian cancer. The disease is called the silent killer, but Jan decided, as a result of her diagnosis and treatment, she was going to be anything but silent. She created Teal It Up to give women like her a voice through education and support. Starting with a 2011 golf tournament, the organization has now grown into a formidable powerhouse of information about ovarian cancer and the importance of genetic counseling. New genetic mutations are being discovered with increased frequency. New and repeated counseling and testing is vital, and potentially lifesaving. Jan is the perfect example. “I was tested for the mutation everyone knows about, BRCA (also known as the breast cancer mutation). I was negative. But then in 2015, I was retested to include the new mutations that had been discovered since my original test.” Not only was Jan positive for the newly found PALB 2 mutation, which puts her at higher risk for pancreatic, breast and ovarian cancers, but both her sisters were positive as well. Genetic counseling became the organization’s primary mission: money raised by Teal It Up covers the costs of genetic testing (when it’s deemed medically necessary) for women throughout Arizona. This passionate dynamo has guided Teal It Up’s mission to include much more. In the Size of God

JULY 2017 FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM | 39 A SECOND ACT CONTINUED addition to raising awareness about ovarian cancer and its symptoms, they’ve added a house cleaning service and comfort bags for those in treatment. And then there’s the pet therapy program, headed up by a handsome canine named Bozeman. Certified at the age of one to visit chemo rooms and hospitals by referral, Bozeman brings joy to patients and Jan alike. “We visited a woman at her first day in chemo. The poor thing was so overwhelmed, it made me think of my first day in chemo. I was scared to death; I would have loved a visit by a dog like Bozeman.” Jan and Teal It Up have come a long way since her triumphant hike through the Alps. Yet she feels there is much more work to do. And then, sometimes, something really amazing happens. “I was checking out at a department store and a woman saw my teal bracelet that carries the words faith, hope and love. The woman asked me the meaning, and when I told her about Teal It Up, she was overwhelmed. She told me her best friend had just completed her chemo for ovarian cancer and was in Hawaii celebrating with her hubby.” Jan gave this complete stranger her bracelet, explaining that teal is the color of ovarian cancer. The woman said to her, “God bless you,” and Jan replied, “No, God bless you.” “My inspiration comes from reaching out to others. If I could do that 10 times a day, my mission would be complete!” Judy Pearson is a journalist, published author, and the founder of A2ndAct.org. Her organization supports and celebrates women survivors of all cancers as they give back to the greater good in their 2nd Acts. Her passion is finding those who have have healed themselves by helping others.