PATIENT AWARENESS DAY 2018:
LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE WITH ENDO
Sunday, March 18, 2018, (8am-5pm) Einhorn Auditorium (131 E76th st) at Lenox Hill Hospital, NYC
Award Recipient: Stephanie Satchell Morris
- Thank you all for coming. My name is Nina, this is Kimberly who also works diligently on ENPOWR. As many of you know, ENPOWR is EndoFound's school and community based endometriosis program started in 2013 right here in New York City. Almost five years later, ENPOWR continues to thrive. Through extensive outreach efforts, ENPOWR educators become guest presenters in health classes, biology classes, after school programs, basically anyone who will have us, we will go. Throughout an interactive 45 minute lesson, co-ed classrooms are not only taught the signs, the symptoms, and treatment options for endometriosis, but are engaged in dialogue to understand why their health matters and to understand the importance of health advocacy. Two years ago, I stood at this very podium and announced the launch of our new ENPOWR EduKit, which we had hoped would let us branch out of New York City with the help of dedicated teachers and volunteers across the country. I am so pleased to say that with the help of the EduKit, ENPOWR has now educated over 27,600 students in 11 states and five countries through 852 lessons and we continue to grow each day. The growth and success of the EduKit could not have been accomplished without the incredibly dedicated volunteers that I have had the pleasure of working with and I could not be happier to be presenting the third annual ENPOWR award to one of these volunteers, Stephanie Morris. Stephanie came to us just over a year ago, so eager to get her revenge on this disease by teaching the next generation about endometriosis. We would receive daily enthusiastic e-mails from her asking when she could teach another lesson and if there was anything else she could do to help us out. Her dedication to this cause is apparent in her student numbers. Stephanie has personally taught 27 ENPOWR lessons and had educated 1,102 students. I could not think of a more deserving person to accept this ENPOWR award this year, so without further ago, please give a round of applause for Stephanie Morris.
- So first I want to say thank you so much. This is such an incredible honor for me. I'm just overwhelmed, so thank you so much, I really do appreciate this. I did write a few words just so that I make sure that I stayed on track. When I started volunteering with the Endometriosis Foundation of America more than a year ago, I couldn't have imagine just how rewarding the ENPOWR project would be. Endometriosis is a topic that is near and dear to my heart and knowing that I'm helping raise awareness with each and every lesson is so very fulfilling. There is no better feeling than knowing I can help point the 15 year old girl in the right direction when she tells me that she has all of the symptoms and doesn't know what to do, or when I can send information home with a 17 year old boy who has observed all of the signs and is pretty sure that his mother or sister should be diagnosed with endo. This work is so important and spreading awareness to this age group is a task I feel I was called to do. It may not always be easy, but it most certainly is worth it, so thank you to everyone here at the Endometriosis Foundation of America for the opportunity to serve and to my husband, thank you for always being supportive and understanding. Thank you all again.
