In this moving episode of Teal Talk – An Ovarian Cancer Podcast, we hear from someone whose voice, strength, and story remind us what survivorship truly looks like. Meet Gwendolyn Taylor, an ovarian cancer survivor, caregiver, mother, author, advocate, and PhD student.
Gwen’s ovarian cancer journey is about persistence, community, and the power of being heard. Through four months of uncertainty, multiple hospitals, and countless questions, Gwen never stopped fighting. And today, she’s still standing.
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When something didn’t feel right
Gwen’s journey began with overwhelming fatigue and a rapidly growing abdomen—symptoms that felt anything but normal.
“I was really tired. Extremely tired—not like I had a long day tired. This was different. And then my stomach started protruding. It was getting bigger, like I was six months pregnant.”
Despite these concerning signs, it took four months, multiple ER visits, and three hospitals before she finally received an answer. Gwen was just 45 years old, juggling life as a single mother to a young son and caregiver to her elderly mother, when she heard the words no one expects:
“I went to two emergency rooms, saw two doctors… four months before I had a diagnosis.”
Finding her voice in care
The turning point in Gwen’s ovarian cancer journey came when she met Dr. Kara Long at Memorial Sloan Kettering.
“She was the first person to explain everything clearly—what was going on in my body and what needed to happen for me to get well. That was the first time I felt actually heard.”
After months of fear, uncertainty, and confusion, Gwen found a medical team that not only treated her condition but also validated her experience.
The power of community: NOCC’s impact
Through Dr. Long, Gwen was introduced to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC)—a moment that would reshape her healing process.
“Nancy gave me comfort. As a survivor, she really understood. She walked me through treatment and recovery, introduced me to NOCC, and helped me join their support groups.”
NOCC’s peer support, survivor stories, virtual meetups, and even small care packages became a lifeline.
Not sure where to turn for comfort and care during treatment?
Request a free ovarian cancer care package from NOCC filled with helpful items and support tools.
Why NOCC’s support felt different
While Gwen had the love of her family, church, and friends, she says NOCC filled a gap only survivors could fill.
“My family tried their best. But they weren’t losing their hair. They weren’t facing the possibility of dying. So while their support was beautiful, they couldn’t truly understand.”
Being part of a survivor network gave Gwen inspiration, hope, and tangible proof that life after cancer wasn’t just possible—it could be beautiful.
A new outlook, a new purpose
“I see the world so differently now. I treat people differently. You never know what someone is going through. People show up and smile, but you don’t know what’s behind that.”
Ovarian cancer changed the way Gwen sees the world. It gave her a deeper sense of empathy and purpose, fueling her to share her story and lift others up.
And that purpose now has a platform.
Turning pain into purpose
Gwen is now the author of Picked to Survive, a moving memoir of her experience and the people who helped her through it. She’s also pursuing her PhD at Adelphi University, all while continuing to support others through her advocacy and connection to NOCC.
“I’m still here. I’m thriving. And I’m using my story to help others fight for their lives.”
Looking to connect with others who truly understand your experience?
Join a Survivor or Caregiver Peer Support Group and find strength in community.
Gwen’s legacy of strength
Gwen’s ovarian cancer journey is more than a story—it’s a call to action. A reminder to advocate for yourself, find support, and never stop fighting.
“Fight. Fight for your life. Don’t give up.”
Her voice is powerful, and her message is clear: with support, strength, and self-advocacy, hope is always possible.
What you can do right now
- Listen to Gwen’s full podcast episode on Teal Talk
- Join an NOCC support group and connect with other survivors
- Read Gwen’s book Picked to Survive
- Learn more about ovarian cancer symptomsand when to seek help
- Support ovarian cancer awareness and advocacy through NOCC
Episode Transcript
Still Standing: Gwen’s Ovarian Cancer Journey
LAG (2): [00:00:00] Welcome to Teal Talk, an ovarian cancer podcast. From the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, we bring you trusted voices from experts and survivors to advocates to inform, support, and empower you throughout your journey. Don’t forget to subscribe and follow us on social media at NOCC National.
LAG (2): Hi everyone and welcome to Teal Talk. I’m your host Lauren Ashley German. Today I am joined by Gwendolyn Taylor. Gwen is an ovarian cancer survivor and advocate, and someone whose journey reminds us what strength really looks like.
LAG (2): So let’s start at the beginning of your story. When did you start feeling like something may not be right?
GWEN: For starters, I was really tired. Each. Extremely tired. Not like a normal, like I had a long day tired. This one was different. And then the other thing was my stomach was protruding. It was getting bigger and bigger as if I was like six months pregnant.[00:01:00]
LAG (2): So that was when you first thought, okay, this isn’t right. And then. How many doctors do you think you talked to before you actually got a diagnosis?
GWEN: Yes. I went to two emergency rooms and I saw two different doctors. So it was about four months before I had a diagnosis.
LAG (2): And you were young?
GWEN: I was extremely young. I was 45. With a young son at home with a 5-year-old at home. Not to mention I also take care of my 85-year-old mother who was waiting for me to come back from the emergency room.
LAG (2): And you didn’t?
GWEN: I did not. Not at, not at first. Not at first. It was four months. Maybe it’s like heading towards Thanksgiving when I got to come home. So about four months I spent in three different hospitals.
LAG (2): You know, you’ve, you and I have talked a lot about your journey and your story, and what I think is so important about your story is [00:02:00] what you have said to be a turning point in your treatment. So talk to me a little bit about what it meant to finally feel like your voice was being heard.
GWEN: Yes, by the time I got to Memorial Sloan Kettering and I met Dr. Kara Long, she was the first person to give me a complete understanding as to what was happening in my body and what needed to happen in order for me to be well. That was the first experience where I felt actually heard.
LAG (2): And that’s wild. Right. Four months after you first started seeing symptoms. You finally meet Dr. Long, what did it feel like to hear the words, ovarian cancer at that point in your journey?
GWEN: I was in a state of shock. I had no idea. Wait, what? Ovarian [00:03:00] cancer. I expected, you know, people go to the hospital all the time, you get some medicine, you come home. My family, we don’t have a long history of any cancers and I’m a fairly healthy woman. I don’t drink, there’s no drugs, none of those things. I was healthy. So as far as I. See, this would’ve been really quick. So hearing the words you have ovarian cancer was almost like a death wish in some instances.
LAG (2): And through your relationship with Dr. Long, you, that’s how you were introduced to the NOCC. So how did being part of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s community shape your journey?
GWEN: Yes. So I met a, a wonderful volunteer at NOCC Nancy, and she was remarkable. First she kind of. Just gave me comfort in understanding like what was happening as a survivor [00:04:00] herself. She was able to attest what this feels like because it’s hard to, for people to understand, you have to actually be in it. You have to be a part of it. She navigated me through treatment to through recovery, introducing me to NOCC, having me join their support. Online conversations, meeting women all around the world who was experiencing the same thing as me. And then also to all the wonderful gifts that I would get from NOCC. I got gift bags, I got cups and mugs and socks, and it just felt like somebody cared, like they got it. That was so important to me.
LAG (2): And you have a strong support system at home?
GWEN: Absolutely.
LAG (2): You have your church, your family, your friends. So how was the NOC the NOCC community different from the support system that you already had?
GWEN: My mom, she tried her best to comfort me, my [00:05:00] sisters, my church. But they weren’t losing their hair. They weren’t losing weight. They weren’t. In a space where they may not live, they didn’t have, they didn’t have those risk, so while it was beautiful that they were there, they just really couldn’t understand. So being at NOCC and reading other. People survivor stories and how many years they had after cancer. You know, they say, oh, you have five years, and hey, I am coming on five years. And I’m like, okay, so this is it. No, look at me. I’m thriving. And so just being able to be a part of NOCC and understanding that women just like me, fighting, surviving, thriving, and doing great things after.
LAG (2): After everything you’ve been through, talk to me about how your outlook has changed. Oh, I see the world differently. [00:06:00] I see the world so differently. I treat people differently. You never know what other people are facing. You never know what people are going through. People show up, they smile, and you don’t. Having any idea the challenges that they’re facing and it’s expected, I think, from what for women moms to just show up. So I learned just to, to give hope, to be kind, to be patient, to be a blessing, and to give people grace.
LAG (2): That’s so amazing. And. I think I’m really excited for people to hear about what you are working on now after everything you’ve gone through and all your trials into relations, you have turned that into. A passionate project. Absolutely. Tell us a little bit about that.
GWEN: So first thing is I am a author of Pick to Survive. It’s a testament about [00:07:00] my ovarian cancer journey and all the wonderful people who have helped me along the way. I’m also a second year PhD student at a Delphi University. And I’m just so proud and my, my family, everybody is doing really well, and I’ve been very blessed and very fortunate. Just to have a connection with NOCC,
LAG (2): what’s one important message that you’d want everyone listening to take away from your story?
GWEN: I said it before and I’ll say it again. Fight. Fight for your life. Fight.
LAG (2): Thank Gwendolyn for sharing your story with us. Your voice is so powerful and I know that it’s gonna make a difference in someone listening today.
GWEN: Thank you for the opportunity. I love it. Thank you.
