2023 Donor Impact Report - Flipbook - Page 6
Cancer Research
Advancing ovarian
cancer research
Ovarian cancer takes the life of one woman in Australia every
eight hours, with 70 per cent of cases being diagnosed in
the advanced stages of the disease. UniSA alumna Madelyn
Duckmanton is working to change these statistics, having
raised more than $61,000 towards ovarian cancer research
at UniSA through the Letitia Linke Foundation, inspired by her
daughter’s legacy.
It all began when Madelyn’s daughter
Letitia Linke, a 34-year-old mother of two,
presented with symptoms of ovarian cancer
that were overlooked. After years of gruelling
treatment, Letitia passed away in August
2018.
While Letitia was alive, she spearheaded
several fundraising initiatives for ovarian
cancer. Her efforts garnered widespread
media coverage and support, particularly for
her Adelaide Silver Style Cocktail Party event.
“Letitia was a very vibrant, very bright, very
charismatic personality, and she just wanted
to change things for other women. She
understood that her chances of survival
were very slim. However, she wanted to raise
awareness of ovarian cancer and money for
research, to find an early detection test, so
other women and their families would not
have to go through what she and her family
did,” says Madelyn.
Madelyn Duckmanton and her daughter
Letitia Linke
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unisa.edu.au/giving
After Letitia’s passing, Madelyn, along with
Letitia’s sister, Melissa, and a group of other
ovarian cancer patients, family, and friends,
established the Letitia Linke Research
Foundation, a not-for-profit charity where all
funds raised go entirely to ovarian cancer
research.
