They Lost Their Friend To Cancer. How They Turned Grief Into Purpose.

InnovationHealthcareThey Lost Their Friend To Cancer. How They Turned Grief Into Purpose.ByAdaira Landry, MD MEd,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Physician who writes about the rising rates of cancer in young adults.Follow AuthorJun 05, 2026, 12:29pm EDTOvarian Cancer Awareness Leadership Team (L to R): Lauren Feffer, Tiara Lamont, Avery McMahan, Maisie BowlerLauren FefferWhen Lauren Feffer arrived at the University of Connecticut as a freshman, she knew she wanted to get involved. She joined business organizations, dove into her finance program, and scanned the club catalog looking for something that spoke to her on a personal level. Her mind kept returning to her best friend Maya Ortiz, who was also a college freshman fighting a stage III ovarian cancer diagnosis. She noticed UConn had plenty of health organizations — but nothing specifically focused on ovarian cancer awareness. "I asked Maya, are you okay if I start something like this to honor you?" Feffer recalls. That conversation was the beginning of Ovarian Cancer Awareness at UConn.To understand why Feffer and her co-founder Tiara Lamont built what they did, you first have to know Maya. At 18, Maya was a high school senior when she began experiencing sharp stomach pain that her doctors repeatedly dismissed. It took multiple visits, persistent advocacy from her mother, and an ER trip before a CT scan revealed stage III ovarian cancer. Maya documented her journey publicly — her story resonated with thousands who recognized the pattern of a young woman’s pain being minimized. She went on to become an EMT, started an ovarian cancer awareness chapter at UMass, and dreamed of becoming a doctor. Maya unfortunately died before she could see how far her friends would take the organization — but the movement she inspired has only grown in her absence.Maya Ortiz and Lauren Feffer with their friends at a ovarian cancer fundraising event, Trotting in TealUCONN O...