After two of his employees lost their wives to ovarian cancer, Blachford CEO John Blachford felt he had to do something. The company pledged on December 21 to donate $250,000 to the McGill University Health Center (MUHC) Foundation to create the Blachford Ovarian Cancer Research Fellowship to help a more women to survive ovarian cancer.
Posted at 10:05 a.m.
“Blachford is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and we could never have reached this important milestone or achieved this much success without the dedication of our employees. We have decided to make a donation to the DOvEE project to show our support for the people around us who are affected by this terrible disease,” said Mr. Blachford.
The new Blachford Ovarian Cancer Fellowship will support Dr. Lucy Gilbert, Director of the Department of Gynecological Oncology at the MUHC, and the DOvEE (Early Diagnosis of Ovarian and Endometrial Cancer) project.
In 2018, Dr. Gilbert developed the DOvEEgene test, a simple diagnostic test to detect early stage ovarian and endometrial cancers. This test works like the Pap test to detect cervical cancer, and its ability to detect cancer at an early stage greatly improves chances of survival. This test is now in its final clinical trial stage, and this grant will provide her with much-needed funds to complete the trial and bring the DOvEEgene test to as many women as possible.
“In the gynecological oncology department, I very often see diagnoses of ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer at an advanced stage. If these cancers had been detected at an earlier stage, these women would have survived. It’s really appalling. The Phase 3 clinical trials of the DOvEEgene test are the culmination of years of work, and I thank Blachford for helping us bring DOvEEgene to all women,” says Dr. Gilbert.
“Too many women are killed by ovarian and endometrial cancers. The MUHC Foundation is proud to support Dr. Lucy Gilbert in her efforts to change this situation. We thank Blachford for her determination to ensure that these silent killers no longer take away mothers, daughters, sisters and friends,” said Julie Quenneville, President and CEO, MUHC Foundation.
Blachford, a Montreal-based company, celebrates its centenary this year and has 365 employees worldwide.
DOvEE is one of the priorities of the campaign Dare to dream of the MUHC Foundation, which aims to raise $200 million to transform lives and advance medicine. Countryside Dare to dream. Stop the sneaky killer raised over $2 million to support Dr. Gilbert’s big dream: to make DOvEEgene testing the standard of care for women and save countless lives.
The McGill University Health Center (MUHC) Foundation raises funds to support excellence in patient care, research and teaching at the McGill University Health Center, one of Canada’s leading teaching hospitals. His campaign Dare to dream to Transform Lives and Advance Medicine raises millions of dollars to solve humanity’s deadliest puzzles – infectious diseases –; to end cancer as a life-threatening disease; to unite broken hearts through innovative care; to detect the silent killers – ovarian and endometrial cancers – at an early stage; to build the most skilled healthcare team in Canada and more.
HL Blachford Ltd. was founded in Montreal in 1921 by Henry Lloyd Blachford and today has manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. It is a leading manufacturer of noise reduction materials used to protect drivers and passengers of heavy trucks, construction equipment and agricultural tractors. It also manufactures a wide range of products based on fatty acids derived from animal fats and vegetable oils. These products are used in several industries including plastics, rubber, cables, powdered metals and lubricants.
The McGill University Health Center (MUHC) is one of the largest academic health institutions in the world. Building on the tradition of medical leadership of its founding hospitals, the MUHC provides patient-centred, multidisciplinary care. Affiliated with McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine, the MUHC continues to advance adult and pediatric medicine by attracting the world’s leading clinical experts and researchers, evaluating the latest advances in medical technology, and training the next generation of medical professionals.