A group of eight women have raised enough money to enable the Health Sciences to purchase a piece of equipment used in a groundbreaking treatment for patients with specific abdominal cancers.

Belles with Balls NL have completed their latest fundraising project, raising $100,000 for the Health Care Foundation. To date, the group has raised over half-a-million dollars.

The funds will be used to buy a perfusion pump for Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) surgery. The surgery in question will be performed with the perfusion pump which will be acquired with the money raised.

Bonnie Morgan, co-chair of The Belles with Balls, is committed to raising funds for ovarian cancer research and education in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Morgan was diagnosed with ovarian cancer nearly 15 years ago, having undergone numerous chemotherapy treatments and surgeries over the years. The only symptom she had was bloating in the belly.

She has had five recurrences since 2010, and is going through one currently, but says she’s doing well.

The other co-chair, Alana Walsh-Giovannini, saw her mother go from being a healthy lady at age 64 to succumbing to ovarian cancer within 12 weeks of diagnosis.

Bells with Balls was formed after Alana and Bonnie rekindled an old friendship.