One Year Later, Stef Ripple Continues To Make Waves In The Community

At 36 years old, Stefanie Ashdown wasn’t supposed to get cancer. The Arnold mother of three had just run the Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon two months prior.

When the diagnosis came in October 2014, the news was grave: ovarian cancer, stage 4. Yet she continued to exhibit the fortitude, optimism and purpose with which she approached everything in life.

“She’d be in chemotherapy for four hours with an IV, and later she would go for a run,” said her husband, Bob Ashdown. “It was her way to decompress and unwind.”

It was with a run that loved ones and volunteers honored her life after she passed away. Inspired by the idea that an act of kindness could create a lasting ripple, Stefanie’s family and her Harting Farm neighbor, Wendy Preslan, formed a nonprofit in her name. Held just four months after Stefanie’s death, the inaugural Stefanie Ashdown Memorial Do Your Best 5K in September 2017 was a big success.

“Not only was [September] Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, but it was also Stef’s birthday month,” Preslan said. “With the amazing support of the community, sponsors and businesses, we raised close to $18,000.”

That $18,000 came from 170 competitive runners, about 75 walkers and people who didn’t run or walk but registered to support the cause.

In the year since that event, Stef Ripple has been planning this year’s 5K — set for September 8 at Belvedere Elementary — while educating the public about the warning signs of ovarian cancer and helping families currently going through the same struggle.

“The survivor percentage of ovarian cancer is absolutely terrible,” Bob said. “We didn’t catch this until stage 4. At that point, you have multiple organs involved. If we can just get people to check when they feel a twinge in their abdomen … it’s the symptom awareness.”

Awareness is a big part of Stef Ripple’s mission, as is helping other families. Since April, volunteers have been stuffing “kindness boxes” with $25 worth of items, some that were important to Stef and some that are useful for hospital patients: recipes because Stef was interested in healthy nutrition, bandanas because Stef loved the outdoors, daily devotionals because Stef was a woman of faith, and lip balm because when someone goes through chemotherapy, they might have dry lips.

“When someone gets diagnosed, this gives them a connection to someone who has been there and understands the journey,” Preslan said of the boxes.

One recipient is Katie Filling, a Towson resident who met Stef during treatment. Filling was diagnosed on September 11, 2015.

“Of course, I was exposed to some of the vague symptoms – I was bloated and exhausted – but because I was 38 years old, I had young children and I was working a lot, I just chalked it up to that.”

She had six cycles of chemotherapy from September through February 2016. “The second time I went to chemo, I sat next to Stef and her mom, and we connected,” Filling said. “Stef was one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met while going through this. We were both moms of young children and we talked about the fear we had of what this means for them.”

Filling said she was in remission for about one year before scans showed that she had a recurrence. In March 2017, she started Rubraca, a PARP inhibitor. Now, her prognosis is good, but she still has “that fear and anxiety about what [she knows] statistically [she’s] facing.”

When she got the kindness box, it was a welcome surprise.

“Before I even opened it, it made me smile because I saw the Stef Ripple symbol and it immediately had a profound impact,” Filling said. “I thought, ‘I’m going to win this moment right now. I can beat this.’”

Stef Ripple is also partnering with Johns Hopkins to send two couples to a weekend cancer support retreat. Over the last year, the nonprofit has been involved in several other events — participating in the 2018 Below the Belt Stride and Thrive 5K in May and sponsoring a National Ovarian Cancer Coalition survivors breakfast before a run in September.

“You look at cancer and you see the pink campaigns every October and year-round with Susan G. Komen,” Bob said. “Do I see that with teal and Stef Ripple? I don’t know, but it’s something I feel very deeply about and we’re going to continue to push awareness.”

Last year’s 5K brought plenty of awareness, reaching people like Derek Ross, a fitness brand ambassador from Los Angeles who is on a mission to compete in 200 races. On his blog, Ross recalled trying to pass the leader of the race, a 13-year-old who kept running as he vomited. That kid was Owen Ashdown, Stefanie’s son.

“This race, this event, this epic run highlighted by her amazing 13-year-old son giving his all was, for me, a random chance in history to witness an amazing story unfold before my eyes,” Ross wrote. “I have to single out and thank Owen Ashdown. Your story, your heart, your mission along with your family's perseverance inspires individuals like me.”

When the 5K returns this September, Stef’s friends and family members hope that their work continues to make a ripple both for ovarian cancer patients and those who might one day face a similar prognosis.

“This would not be high on Stef’s list of goals, to have a nonprofit in her name,” Bob said, “but she was all about helping people. These kindness boxes, it’s a small gesture, but to someone in a chemo chair, it’s a big thing. It’s a thumbs-up, knowing you are not alone. I know [Stef] is looking down and she is proud of what we’re doing.”

Registration can be found at www.active.com under “Stefanie Ashdown Memorial Do Your Best 5k 2018.” To learn more about Stef Ripple, visit www.stefripple.org or find “Stef Ripple” on Facebook.