ACTRESS & MODEL PADMA LAKSHMI HOSTS ENDOMETRIOSIS BLOSSOM BALL

The ERC was delighted to be represented in attendance at the first annual Endometriosis Blossom Ball, held in New York on Monday evening, April 20, 2009 at the Prince George Ballroom in Manhattan.  The red-carpet, star-studded event was held as the inaugural awareness and fundraising endeavor to celebrate the launch of the newly formed Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA).  The EFA was co-founded by noted excision surgeon Tamer Seckin, MD and celebrity model/author Padma Lakshmi of Top Chef fame.  Ms. Lakshmi herself has been diagnosed with the disease.  The sold-out event was incredibly well-attended by guests from all walks of life including celebrities, healthcare professionals, supermodels, socialites and Endo patients.

The evening featured moving speeches from Lakshmi as well as actress Whoopi Goldberg, who talked about her own experience with the disease and committed to having Padma speak out about it on her show, The View, as well as talks by Dr. Seckin; famed gynecologic surgeon Harry Reich, MD; Newsweek’s Editor in Chief, Fareed Zakaria and others.  Also included in attendance were supermodels Helena Christensen, Oluchi, Alexanda Tomlinson, and Nicole Trunfio; best-selling author and Editor Tina Brown; Fern Mallis, VP of IMG and countless more.  The full-house evening was covered by every major press outlet ranging from API to such shows as Access Hollywood.  The next evening, Extra featured footage of Padma talking about her Foundation and the importance of early diagnosis and intervention, an agenda which the ERC has always promoted in our own works.

Perhaps the most notable of remarks Monday evening made came from Ms. Goldberg, who directed the following statement concerning awareness to the crowd: “[Endometriosis] is the RIGHT DISEASE, RIGHT NOW!”, calling upon those present to focus their efforts on raising more awareness and bringing about a unified search for the cure.

The newly-formed Foundation’s goals include “increase[ing] general public awareness about Endometriosis by informing 50,000 people about the disease (outside of the medical community); to promote early intervention through dialog and the education of 2,000 medical professionals; to actively participate in ongoing research activities sponsored by the National Institute of Health; to offer one grant for research into the cause of Endometriosis; and to raise $100,000 to further the Mission in 2009.”  You can learn more about the Foundation at http://www.endofound.org.

While the ERC is not an affiliate of the Foundation, the EFA is collaboratively supported in their mission by nearly all other Endo organizations around the world with limited exception; almost all were represented Monday evening in support.  Hopefully one day, through our unified efforts, our daughters will not have to suffer as we have.

ERC Board Member Heather Guidone (L) &
World Endometriosis Research Foundation Chief Executive, Lone Hummelshoj (R)