THE KOLLMANSPERGER FAMILY’S STORY
In 2001, when The Kollmansperger sisters lost their father, Frank, to heart disease, their mom was six months into her battle with ovarian cancer. The family decided they wanted to set up the Kollmansperger Family Fund to support The Lynne Cohen Cancer Screening & Prevention Clinic for High Risk Women at Bellevue Hospital Center of NYU Cancer Institute in 2002.
Turning lemons into lemonade may be a cliché, but Liz Kollmansperger, mother of seven, did that every step of the way: handling her ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment bravely and with sense of humor intact, becoming an activist and raising awareness about the insidious nature of ovarian cancer.
This was a woman who smiled at the sun as she strolled down the street. She drove around her block, screeched to a halt, tooted her horn, rolled down the window and yelled “Hey babe!” to delighted neighbors. She took grandchildren for Slurpees at 7 a.m. and left coveted and thoughtful treats on doorsteps around town. She was so much more than her diagnosis.
Liz lost her battle to ovarian cancer on Memorial Day, 2003. She wanted her legacy to be a continued awareness campaign for ovarian cancer. Her family continues her mission.