Brooklyn native hosts Annual Esophageal Cancer Awareness event

On Sept.14, Dara Mormile hosted the 6th Annual 5K Run/Walk in Brooklyn to raise awareness for esophageal cancer (EC). This year, the event was dedicated to Michael Flores, who lost his life to EC earlier that same week. Along with Flores’ family, attendees included State Senator Roxanne Persaud and Assembly Member Jaime Williams.

Something that may surprise people about Mormile is that she has drafted five romance novels she hopes to publish one day.

She sees her late bosses of The Canarsie Courier, Chuck Rogers, and Christine Rosa, as the people who had the most significant influence on her path, both personally and professionally.

“They instilled values, discipline, professional goals, collaboration focus, and how to exceed my own abilities by pushing my limits and stretching out of my comfort zone to accomplish what is important in life,” she said.

Mormile, who has been a runner since 2015, has completed 5k runs for ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, testicular cancer, and breast cancer. She wondered why there was no local 5k run/walk for Esophageal Cancer.

Mormile’s father, Joseph, battled EC, a lesser-known digestive disease, for two years. “He had heartburn and horrible acid reflux for several years; doctors just pushed pills on him. He had trouble swallowing in 2008 when we were out to dinner,” Mormile said.

A month after that dinner, he had an endoscopy. “In November 2008, he was diagnosed with Stage Four EC. He underwent multiple rounds of chemo/radiation, but the cancer was in advanced stages and took his life on Oct.16, 2010, she explained.

Following her father’s death, it took Mormile a few years to gain the courage and clarity to get an awareness event for esophageal cancer started. She could finally do so in 2019 as a New Year’s resolution.

“Instead of wondering why, I contacted the Salgi Foundation and collaborated with their team for a run/walk in Brooklyn, where my father and I grew up.”

She also ran various races with EliteFeats, a company that helps events and charities grow, and she decided they were the best event co-hosts for this Marine Park race,” she added.

Since 2019, these 5K Run/Walk events have raised funds for the Salgi Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. The organization is  “working to raise awareness, encourage early detection and to fund research of esophageal cancer…in hopes of a cure,” its website states.

In 2020, Mormile officially became the Brooklyn Chapter Event Lead Coordinator, responsible for all aspects of the event, from prizes, sponsors, and donations to the schedule of events for the day.

“I’ve raised over $6,000 each year (in 2022, we raised over $13,000), and this has contributed to the foundation’s research in pursuing a grant for an early detection tool,” she continued.

According to Mormile, “There are no current standard routine screenings to detect EC.”

She emphasized that you should advocate for an endoscopy if you have symptoms.

According to The Mayo Clinic, “symptoms of EC, which usually are noticed when the disease is advanced, include trouble swallowing; chest pain, pressure or burning; and coughing or hoarseness. Risk factors include acid reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), smoking, and drinking alcohol.”

Since the inception of the event, Mormile has connected a group of women who support each other and also connect on a deeper level.  “The most enjoyable aspect is seeing them comfort each other since their fathers all passed away from EC, and they help each other heal year after year,” she stated.

For Mormile, the experience of connecting with other people and families who have lost loved ones due to EC is sad because all of our stories are the same in how our loved ones passed (late diagnosis, doctors did not catch the cancer in time, we were all burdened with having to practice self-advocacy).

In addition, this is why she, along with other people and families, all try to relay the message to the public that:  “If a loved one has heartburn/GERD/acid reflux for many years, it is vital to get an endoscopy instead of taking pills and just changing your diet.”

Furthermore, “it is emotionally satisfying for her that families want to share their grief because you can learn more from tragedy and fighting. Some tell stories of their experience, and if a handful of people from the event get scopes as a result of this event, it will be a victory for our mission!”

Mormile thinks the best words of encouragement for families who have loved ones dealing with EC right now are to “stay positive and be mindful of what your loved one wants through this journey. At the same time, always support their decision – even if it’s not to keep fighting.”

Personally, she is striving to leave a legacy where “this event is of a historical nature—that it helped so many heal, get closure, feel like they aren’t alone, and also take some educational factors from this event as long as I can host it.”

She wants younger generations to be more aware of their digestive health as well – but in a more realistic capacity, if their parents have heartburn/acid reflux etc.

“I would like them to understand how to care for their parents (and themselves in the future). Taking care of a loved one who is battling EC is extremely hard, and since this is a lesser-known cancer, it is vital to teach them the facts,” she stated.