Endofound Blossom Ball 2015 7th Annual Blossom Ball
Robert Taylor, MD: It is going to be a wonderful fashion show I think and I am really looking forward to meeting all of these interesting people. It is fun dressing up and I am really glad to be here.
Sara Berga, MD: A great cause. We are because of endometriosis and I thank everybody for supporting this incredibly important opportunity.
Emma Myles, Actress: I am just excited to learn more and to see how I can help.
Ron Batt, MD: It is a lovely evening.
Reporter: What are you looking forward to today?
Ron Batt, MD: I think one of the things I am looking forward to is to meet Ms. Padma Lakshmi, whom I have never met before. I am so proud to be part of the Endometriosis Foundation of America. What they are doing here is, especially with the support of Senator Klein for educating the young people, the adolescents, about endometriosis and other disease entities that are important for them is a profound accomplishment. It is marvelous.
Evette Rios. Televison Host: It is my first time and I am so interested in the cause, I just had a baby so I understand all the complications that come during childbirth. Women’s health is so important and we are just not putting enough attention and funding behind it.
Reporter: How did you first hear about it and get involved with it?
Evette Rios, Television Host: You know, I have always known about endometriosis and the Endometriosis Foundation for a while but I did not know about the ball until I was invited by friends to be a part of it. And now I am like, I would love to be more involved and help out any way I can.
Padma Lakshmi, Endofound Co-Founder: It was a great year at Endofound. We had presented to over 6500 students, high school students about endometriosis. We have taken a survey before and after and we find that they score really high on it and we find that the boys in the class are just as supportive and curious as the women, as the girls. So that has been a really nice surprise finding for us, that nobody is grossed out. Everybody is really curious. Everyone wants to know how they can help their mothers, their sisters, their daughters who have it. I hope we raise a lot of money. That is what I would really love to happen. It is wonderful to go to a fancy party but the real, real issue is whether we can do something about this disease and alleviate a lot of the struggle that many women go through and go through in silence.
Gail Simmons, Food Writer: I got involved with the cause from Padma who was my roommate many months of the year. It hit home because my mother had endometriosis and I, for my whole life, worried that I would too because it often can be genetic. I am lucky enough that I do not but because I know my mother suffered, and I have so many girlfriends who have also suffered from endometriosis, I think that it is something that all women, especially young women, need to be educated about; to know the signs so they can help themselves. They do not need to suffer. It is an incredibly painful illness but it can be helped.
Norman Reedus, Actor: Last year I had a really good time and Padma is a friend of mine. I wanted to come back and support it again.
Tamer Seckin, MD, Endofound Co-Founder: Well, I would like to say thanks for all the previous participants to the medical conference that made this year’s medical conference magnanimous. We build to the other people’s participation and their input. We had a great program and a great weekend of clarity and we brought revolution to the treatment of endometriosis where scientists, surgeons have participated with the support of patients. Along with that, certainly, my friend who happens to be my patient initially had significant impact. We have over 1.8 billion impressions in the PR business for the word endometriosis. That is a success. That happened because of her. Apart from that we cover every aspect of the disease and tonight is a celebration for that. It is a fundraiser, it is a fun night. I just feel sorry everybody could not be here but we will be thinking of them. This is about to bring some extra money to the Foundation so others can benefit. Thank you.
