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A Sweet Way to Promote Cancer Awareness: Pies for Prevention

October 31st, 2022 | 4 min. read

By Sierra Dehmler

Pie: good. Pie for charity? Delicious! Learn how reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Ilana Ressler is helping to raise awareness for breast and ovarian cancer while supporting her local community this holiday season.

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Raising Awareness Through Baking

For the seventh year in a row, Dr. Ilana Ressler, one of Illume Fertility's board-certified reproductive endocrinologists, spearheaded the Pies for Prevention program in Westchester, NY to help promote ovarian and breast cancer awareness.

This has been a cause near and dear to her heart for many years. Each November, she devotes time and effort to baking delicious pies to support Sharsheret's much-needed efforts. 

Note: Many men and women who face a cancer diagnosis are referred to our practice for immediate fertility preservation, like egg freezing, sperm freezing or other future family-building options. If you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed and is looking for time-sensitive, expert guidance on fertility preservation, please reach out to our team to get connected with support. 

Meet Sharsheret

Sharsheret is the world's leading Jewish cancer charity.

This wonderful non-profit organization supports young women and men and their families facing breast and ovarian cancer by raising awareness, providing ongoing education and offering direct support to cancer fighters (and survivors) who are navigating these difficult diagnoses. Learn more here

This year marks the 14th annual Sharsheret Thanksgiving Bake Sale, where fresh, delicious pies are lovingly baked within the community right before Thanksgiving, then distributed to those who have purchased them just in time for the holidays. All proceeds from the sale of the pies benefit Sharsheret directly.


Want to help raise awareness?

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What is Pies for Prevention?

Pies for Prevention is a program started by two sisters, Adeena Sussman and Sharon Wieder, who lost both their mother and grandmother to ovarian cancer. To honor the memories of both women, the sisters decided to memorialize their mother's and grandmother's love of baking while raising money for a great cause.

Dr. Ressler launched the charitable program in Westchester seven years ago. As a physician who meets patients facing breast and ovarian cancer on a regular basis through her job as a reproductive endocrinologist, she felt compelled to do what she could to raise awareness.

A note from Dr. Ressler: "I'm honored to once again be involved in the Pies for Prevention program through Sharsheret, a wonderful non-profit organization that supports young women and their families with breast and ovarian cancer."

Over the past 13+ years, this bake sale has raised more than $615,000! This is a delicious and meaningful way to support a great cause. All ingredients are certified kosher, pareve and homemade in a kosher kitchen. In addition, all donations to Sharsheret are tax-deductible.


pies-for-prevention

Dr. Ressler shopping for ingredients and pictured with her freshly baked Pies for Prevention last year.


How to Order Your Pie

This year's pie flavors included pumpkin, pecan, chocolate chip cookie dough and pumpkin cranberry bread. They also offered gluten-free peanut butter blondies. While the window to order your homemade pies has closed, your opportunity to help the cause is ongoing! 


Support Sharsheret

Donate Now


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Sierra Dehmler

Sierra Dehmler is Illume Fertility’s Content Marketing Manager - and also a fertility patient herself. Combining empathy gained on her personal journey with her professional experience in marketing and content creation, she aims to empower and support other fertility patients by demystifying the fertility treatment process.