Ovarian cancer is a brutal disease. Just this year, it is estimated that ovarian cancer has already claimed more than 14,000 lives. 64-year-old Karen Orofino of Mill Valley, California was one of those deaths. Her son, John “Woody” Orofino, however, is determined that she will not be forgotten. In an article from Healthline News, contributor Shawn Radcliffe writes that Orofino is planning to embark on a 22-day hike on the John Muir Trail in California both to honor his mother’s memory and to raise money for the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) medical center, where his mother received her cancer treatments. He will average more than 10 miles per day and anticipates large elevation changes and several nights spent at over 10,000 feet.
Though he comes from a very athletic family, Orofino knows that a hike of this magnitude is something different. But he has been preparing diligently, and backpacking is a recent passion of his. It was a love that he shared with his mother, who started hiking later in life.
He commented, “I personally came to really love backpacking, and really love being in the outdoors, just over the past four to five years. I’ve always loved nature, but prior to this, my longest time ... in the wilderness was about three days. This is definitely a very large undertaking, but it’s one that I’m confident I can accomplish, and I’m definitely very passionate about the cause.”
Orofino’s fundraising goal is $50,000, all of which will go to the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, specifically earmarked for ovarian cancer research.
Dr. Lee-may Chen, a gynecologic cancer surgeon at UCSF Medical Center, commented, “To be able to see him channel his energy into doing something that’s going to really help improve awareness for ovarian cancer was so impressive. We’re touched that he wants to help make a contribution to us because I think we have a lot of work to do, and we need support to be able to do that type of work.”
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