Cindy Kayanan credits Be The Difference Foundation volunteers
By Isabella Castillo
After taking a few Advil, Cindy Kayanan assumed her stomach pains would ease, and she could continue enjoying a University of Texas football game with her family.
But what she didn’t expect was to leave the stadium only to collapse onto the sidewalk, suddenly unable to walk any farther.
“It felt like I had a really bad cramp on my thigh,” said Kayanan. “Like I had run a million miles… and my (husband told me), ‘You have got to call the doctor.’”
Following a computed tomography (CT) scan, Kayanan assumed that the episode had been caused by something relatively common such as her appendix or possibly kidney stones.
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The next day her doctor called with unexpected news: The medical team had detected a mass on her left ovary.
After consulting with her OB-GYN and oncologist, Kayanan was officially diagnosed with ovarian cancer, news that left her swimming in a sea of disbelief.
“At first, I thought they were kidding,” said Kayanan. “There’s no history (of cancer) in my family and the pain was not that bad. It would…go away with Advil, and I hadn’t had any pain since (the UT game).”
Though shocked, Kayanan knew that she had to stay strong for the sake of her family and herself.
To maintain a sense of normalcy and purpose, she continued working throughout her treatment as a senior clinical research associate at Novo Nordisk, balancing her chemotherapy appointments and two major surgeries with professional responsibilities.
“I told my manager at the time, ‘I’m not taking any time off, because I’m fine,’” said Kayanan. “‘I can still work and … do my job.’”
Throughout her journey, Kayanan found strength in her broader support system, including the Preston Hollow, Ursuline, and Jesuit communities. Friends and neighbors stepped in with meals, emotional support, and other help when her family needed it most.
“They’ve been my biggest cheerleaders, if not my work family,” said Kayanan. “My son (graduated from) Jesuit and my daughter is in Ursaline right now. (The communities) just lift you up in ways that you can’t even imagine …We were so thankful, and I don’t think I could ever thank them enough.”
Emerging from treatment, Kayanan embraced opportunities to share her journey and uplift others. In 2023, Kayanan walked as a fashion model in Runway for Hope, a fashion show featuring cancer survivors, hosted by the Be the Difference Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 by four ovarian cancer survivors.
“Our mission is to create awareness and improve the lives of all people facing ovarian cancer through education, support, and research,” said Jon Mize, a long-time employee at the foundation. “All of the money we raise, minus operational costs, goes back out to clinical trials, funding research, or direct patient support services. Anything we take, we put right back into research.”
Through Runway For Hope, Kayanan was able to experience a community unlike any other, a group of survivors who were able to understand and relate to each other’s pain and trauma.
“You get to hear the different stories of the ladies that you’re with,” said Kayanan. “And we still maintain a group text and check in on each other. There was one (member) who had a recurrence and these are the things that … nobody else would understand except these survivors.”
Emerging from treatment, Kayanan embraced opportunities to share her journey and now, nearly three years cancer-free, has become a passionate advocate for awareness and early detection.
“It could happen to you,” said Kayanan. “There was no reason why it would happen to me. I have no idea why this hit my life. But, as a mother, a wife, and a nurse, I feel like I should give back.”
