Take Note:
KDs Gather for National Leadership Conference
Kappa Delta’s collegiate leaders will gather June 24-27 in Williamsburg, Va., for the 2010 National Leadership Conference. With the theme of “Your Story, Our History,” the conference promises KDs opportunities to meet outstanding members, experience national sisterhood, participate in educational and leadership development programs, and see firsthand how their stories are writing Kappa Delta history.
KD Will Colonize New Collegiate Chapter
The Florida Gulf Coast University Panhellenic has chosen Kappa Delta to bring a new chapter to the campus this coming fall. Extension involves the work of many from national volunteers to local alumnae who must lend their support. On behalf of Kappa Delta, National Vice President Betty Mulkey expressed her appreciation to all who helped and said, “We will build a chapter of which you will be proud!”
Sorority Welcomes Alumnae Chapters
In May, Kappa Delta reorganized the Oxford, Miss., alumnae chapter that was chartered in 1944 and the Northwest Florida alumnae chapter, which was chartered in 1966 as the Panama City, Fla., alumnae chapter. These groups are excited to welcome new members to their chapters. If you are interested in more information about these chapters or organizing an alumnae chapter in your area, contact alumnaeservices@kappadelta.org.
KD’s Participation in Cancer Study is Featured on NBC
Kappa Delta Liz Wall Stegall was featured in an NBC Nightly News segment that aired on May 20. Liz has been a part of a study on early detection of ovarian cancer sponsored by MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The video clip shows photos in a KD scrapbook of Liz as a college student at Louisiana-Lafayette with her Gamma Kappa sister Linda Nelson Taylor who died from ovarian cancer in 1996.
Known as the “silent killer,” currently 70 percent of ovarian cancer is not found until the later stages when cure is difficult. Symptoms of ovarian cancer – bloating, weight gain, gas, abdominal pain, etc. – often mimic that of many other conditions, and Liz tells viewers that she and Linda often joked about their cooking as a cause of their symptoms.
Losing Linda to ovarian cancer inspired Liz to take part in the nine-year study that focused on early detection. Participants were given CA-125 blood tests on a yearly basis. Dr. Karen Lu explains on the video that the CA-125 blood test is not typically ordered by doctors as a part of yearly routine exams. The test has been known to provide “vague results” and has led to unnecessary surgeries. The MD Anderson study looked at participants’ CA-125 results over the nine-year period in conjunction with their age and family history. Liz was one of a handful of the 3,252 women in the study who was found to have the early stages of ovarian cancer, and since it was caught early and treated, Liz has a good prognosis.
Someday the CA-125 test may be routine for all women, but right now the medical profession is waiting a few more years on results of a study of 200,000 women in the United Kingdom.
Click here to view the video.
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