Today we have lost a shining light in the fight against ovarian cancer. Jill Emberson peacefully passed in her home, surrounded by her loved ones, including her husband Ken and daughter Malia

Today we have lost a shining light in the fight against ovarian cancer. Jill Emberson peacefully passed in her home, surrounded by her loved ones, including her husband Ken and daughter Malia.

While Jill has passed, The Jill Effect will persist.

Diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer in 2016, Jill used her powerful voice, honed by years of broadcasting on ABC locally and nationally, to create a legacy for those who follow her.

From a powerful speech at the National Press Club, to her award-winning podcast Still Jill, Jill took her cause to the people and to the politicians.

In February 2019, Jill went to Canberra to lobby for more research funding for ovarian cancer. In April, the Federal Government announced $20 million in federal funding for Ovarian Cancer research. And it hasn’t stopped there.

Ovarian Cancer is now on the research agenda and is a dedicated research priority on the Medical Research Future Fund.

Jill was a fierce patient advocate, working with ovarian cancer researchers at HMRI to drive better outcomes for women with this disease. Jill worked with Associate Professor Nikola Bowden and Associate Professor Pradeep Tanwar and their teams to improve patient outcomes.

Through her fierce advocacy, Pink Meets Teal was formed. This movement brought together breast cancer survivors and women with ovarian cancer to improve funding equity for ovarian cancer. Thanks to years of dedicated fundraising and research, breast cancer survival rates have improved dramatically – with the average 5-year survival rate for women with breast cancer being 90%. For women with ovarian cancer, it’s only 44%.

With funding equity, we know that research can make the breakthroughs in ovarian cancer.

Thanks to vital fundraising through Pink Meets Teal and individual donations, HMRI vows to maintain a research focus on ovarian cancer. Whether it’s the development of an early detection test, so vital in improving outcomes for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer, or better treatment options – our researchers will extend Jill’s legacy through their work.

Vale Jill.