Nancy Irizarry worked in the insurance industry for 25 years. She was a senior underwriter with marketing and underwriting experience. In 2006, Nancy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Her type of cancer is not the common epithelial. It’s called Granulose tumor. These tumors receive treatment that is similar to that in individual with germ cell or epithelial tumors. Recurrent disease may be treated with surgery or radiation therapy. She has had multiple recurrences, 4 surgeries and chemotherapy treatments.
In 2007, before she applied for disability Nancy was invited to join Woman to Woman to help them with the Spanish community. While working, Nancy would go to the hospital on Tuesday on her lunch hour to visit with patients. While being on disability she continues to go on Tuesdays to meet with patients and there were times when she would call patients at home to see how they were doing. She even provided assistance to OCRA with the Spanish community and different hospitals that didn’t have a Spanish speaking person to help with the patients of the Woman to Woman program. Nancy still currently volunteers for Woman to Woman.
In 2012, Nancy decided to start her own T.E.A.L.® Walk in Woodbury, Highland Mills, NY. Nancy had family, friends and community members that wanted to walk in her town. The event had more than 100 people and was able to raise over $5,000 and went on for two years before Nancy moved to New Jersey.
