Our mission is to increase endometriosis awareness, fund landmark research, provide advocacy and support for patients, and educate the public and medical community.
Founders: Padma Lakshmi, Tamer Seckin, MD
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William  Croyle

William Croyle

William Croyle is a former writer with the Cincinnati Enquirer. He is the author of 11 books, including co-author with Tamer Seckin, MD, of The Doctor Will See You Now: Recognizing and Treating Endometriosis and EndoMEtriosis: A Guide for Girls.

Usually Private About Her Endometriosis Story, Lindsay Jankovitz Opens Up Before Marathon to Help Others

Usually Private About Her Endometriosis Story, Lindsay Jankovitz Opens Up Before Marathon to Help Others

Nobody wants to talk about the most brutal time in their life, including Lindsay Jankovitz. For her, that was in high school nearly 20 years ago when endometriosis began taking over her body. But Jankovitz has bravely been sharing her story…

After Five Surgeries for Endometriosis and Adenomyosis, US Army Veteran to Run in First New York City Marathon

After Five Surgeries for Endometriosis and Adenomyosis, US Army Veteran to Run in First New York City Marathon

Nicole Allen graduated from West Point, achieved the rank of major, and ran on the Army Ten Miler team at Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos) in Texas. She did it all while battling endometriosis and adenomyosis. Now, at 34, Allen is about to run…

Unveiling the Journey: Battling Medical Dismissal and Finding Hope with Endometriosis - Aubrey Svensson’s Endo Story

Unveiling the Journey: Battling Medical Dismissal and Finding Hope with Endometriosis - Aubrey Svensson’s Endo Story

*trigger warning for references to medical trauma*   June 26, 2023, will forever be the day that changed my life. My name is Aubrey Svensson, and I am an incoming M1 medical student. I graduated with a degree in psychology from The Ohio…

University of Alabama Student with Endometriosis Running for Team EndoStrong in the New York City Marathon

University of Alabama Student with Endometriosis Running for Team EndoStrong in the New York City Marathon

Mary Groninger has never run a marathon. She’d also never heard of EndoFound until a Google search last spring. Now she’s training for the world’s largest race as a member of Team EndoStrong. “It’s been a whirlwind…

A Miracle Baby Develops Adenomyosis: Jennifer Hoffmann’s Quest for Strength and Peace

A Miracle Baby Develops Adenomyosis: Jennifer Hoffmann’s Quest for Strength and Peace

I was eight years old the first time I rode a horse. It was also the first time I fell off, as a nearby car backfired and scared the horse—but I got back on and never stopped riding. Even when the indoor riding arena collapsed under the…

Ironman Triathlon Athlete Running for Team EndoFound in New York City Marathon

Ironman Triathlon Athlete Running for Team EndoFound in New York City Marathon

Dan O’Brien has just about done it all when it comes to running, including half marathons, full marathons, and Ironman triathlons. But something the 26-year-old hedge fund trader from New York has never done is tie his running to a charity,…

Swedish Rocker with Endometriosis to Play in Asbury Park to Benefit EndoFound

Swedish Rocker with Endometriosis to Play in Asbury Park to Benefit EndoFound

Asbury Park is where Bruce Springsteen started, and Alexandra Jardvall has aspired to play. The 48-year-old Swedish-born singer and songwriter has been performing since she was 12, and now her wish is about to come true.  “My dad…

Running Her First Marathon Since Diagnosed with Stage IV Endometriosis, Grace Kunkel Aims for Personal Record

Running Her First Marathon Since Diagnosed with Stage IV Endometriosis, Grace Kunkel Aims for Personal Record

Grace Kunkel is shooting for a time of 3:45 in her first New York City Marathon on Nov. 5. That would eclipse her personal record by eight minutes. But for Kunkel, the race is more about the journey than the destination. “I love running…

Two Milwaukee Artists Offering Apparel with Floral Uterus Design Through Aug. 9 to Benefit EndoFound

Two Milwaukee Artists Offering Apparel with Floral Uterus Design Through Aug. 9 to Benefit EndoFound

Mara Natkin and Gloria Ramirez don’t have endometriosis, but when the owners of Artery Ink in Milwaukee learned about it, they felt compelled to do something to bring awareness to the disease that affects millions.  “It’s…

Avery St. Sauveur Pushing Through Endo Pain to Compete in New York City Marathon: Avery St. Sauveur’s Endo Story

Avery St. Sauveur Pushing Through Endo Pain to Compete in New York City Marathon: Avery St. Sauveur’s Endo Story

Avery St. Sauveur has been in pain from endometriosis for most of the last decade, but that’s not stopping her from training for her first full marathon—the world’s largest on Nov. 5. “While the New York City Marathon…

Fashion Designer, Entrepreneur, and Social Media Influencer Making Endometriosis Awareness a Priority: Autumn Weimann’s Endo Story

Fashion Designer, Entrepreneur, and Social Media Influencer Making Endometriosis Awareness a Priority: Autumn Weimann’s Endo Story

Every woman with endometriosis has a unique story about her journey with the disease. Autumn Weimann’s may be one of the most unusual. The 31-year-old Orange County, Calif., resident started feeling symptoms in high school one day each…

Four Months Ahead of the TCS NYC Marathon, Team EndoStrong Is Poised for Record Numbers

Four Months Ahead of the TCS NYC Marathon, Team EndoStrong Is Poised for Record Numbers

Team EndoStrong raised nearly $170,000 for EndoFound last year by running in the TCS New York City Marathon. Clare Murphy, who is running for and organizing the team for this year’s marathon on Nov. 5, expects to blow away that number.…

After Years of Being Ignored and Eight Miscarriages, Bernadette Higgins Continues the Fight Against Endometriosis: Bernadette Higgins' Endo Story

After Years of Being Ignored and Eight Miscarriages, Bernadette Higgins Continues the Fight Against Endometriosis: Bernadette Higgins' Endo Story

Bernadette Higgins was in middle school the day she got her first period. She was 12 years old. “I was doubled over in pain and in the nurse’s office the second it happened,” Higgins said.  She was sent home early by…

21-Year-Old Ivy League Student with Stage IV Endometriosis Is Epitome of Resilience: Simran Datta's Endo Story

21-Year-Old Ivy League Student with Stage IV Endometriosis Is Epitome of Resilience: Simran Datta's Endo Story

  Simran Datta was sitting in her AP Language Arts and Composition class one morning, engrossed in her writing assignment. Though she was menstruating that day and typically bled a lot, she wasn’t worried since she’d just changed…

Warriors II Album Release and New York City Concert Will Benefit EndoFound

Warriors II Album Release and New York City Concert Will Benefit EndoFound

Bernadette Higgins was 12 years old when she got her first period. It was the beginning of a nightmare. “I thought it was cool when I got my period because all the girls were getting them, but I knew something was wrong,” she said.…

EndoFound Partner Pushes for Menstrual Health Awareness and Change on Capitol Hill

EndoFound Partner Pushes for Menstrual Health Awareness and Change on Capitol Hill

Michela Bedard hears one consistent story in her work: those living in poverty need to decide what essential goods to buy each month, and menstrual products generally don’t make the cut because of priorities like food, heat, and electricity.…

Landmark Study on Endometriosis Genetics Validates What Many Patients Have Experienced

Landmark Study on Endometriosis Genetics Validates What Many Patients Have Experienced

The most extensive study ever conducted on endometriosis genetics has revealed a shared genetic basis for endometriosis and other types of pain, including migraine, back pain, and multisite pain. It also provides a clear distinction between…

Prominent Surgeon Leads Change of Diagnosis Codes for Endometriosis

Prominent Surgeon Leads Change of Diagnosis Codes for Endometriosis

Dr. Ted Lee, a longtime friend of EndoFound, approached the Centers for Disease Control in 2019 with a proposal to create more diagnosis codes for endometriosis. He expected it would be a long process involving extensive work, but it had to…

Awareness About Infertility Is Growing, but More Work Is Needed

Awareness About Infertility Is Growing, but More Work Is Needed

One in five women in the U.S. is infertile, defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as when a pregnancy does not occur after at least a year of unprotected sex. And one of the leading causes of infertility is endometriosis.…

Doctoral Candidate Seeks Endometriosis Patients for Novel Study on Stigma and Mental Health

Doctoral Candidate Seeks Endometriosis Patients for Novel Study on Stigma and Mental Health

Deniz Kocas is a clinical psychology Ph.D. student at The New School for Social Research in New York City. For the next 18 months, she will focus on her dissertation project—exploring the relationship between the stigma around endometriosis…

Drug Developer to Receive EndoFound’s Harry Reich Award

Drug Developer to Receive EndoFound’s Harry Reich Award

Stephen Palmer, Ph.D., who has dedicated more than 30 years to drug discovery and development, has been named one of EndoFound’s Harry Reich Award recipients. Palmer is an associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine and the chief…

Belgian Surgeon to Receive EndoFound’s Harry Reich Award

Belgian Surgeon to Receive EndoFound’s Harry Reich Award

Dr. Jacques Donnez, a highly decorated surgeon from Belgium, will receive EndoFound’s Harry Reich Award this weekend for his lifelong contributions to the healthcare of women with endometriosis. The foundation will present the award to…

Philadelphia ABC News Anchor to Co-Host 11th Annual Blossom Ball

Philadelphia ABC News Anchor to Co-Host 11th Annual Blossom Ball

Alicia Vitarelli has had three laparoscopic surgeries for endometriosis, her most recent one just eight weeks ago. Yet the anchor and reporter for 6abc Action News in Philadelphia will travel to Los Angeles next week to cover the Oscars, and…

Actress and Producer Corinne Foxx to be Honored at Blossom Ball on March 20

Actress and Producer Corinne Foxx to be Honored at Blossom Ball on March 20

Corinne Foxx began experiencing endometriosis symptoms with her first period at age 12. The pain peaked in 2018 when she was 24 and still had no diagnosis.  “It became so intense that I would keel over and pray that I would pass…

Distinguished NYC Attorney to Advise Endometriosis Patients of Their Rights

Distinguished NYC Attorney to Advise Endometriosis Patients of Their Rights

Laurie Berke-Weiss has been an attorney for four decades, primarily focusing on employment and labor issues. She’s never had a case involving endometriosis, but as she learns more about the disease, she understands what patients may be…

Author of Acclaimed Vagina Obscura to Speak at EndoFound’s Patient Day

Author of Acclaimed Vagina Obscura to Speak at EndoFound’s Patient Day

Rachel E. Gross says she was destined to be a nerd. Her father is a physicist. Her mother is a family medicine doctor. Her stepmom is a molecular biologist. While being a doctor or scientist wasn’t Gross’ calling, writing about…

Latia Lee Discusses Her Pregnancy Journey

Latia Lee Discusses Her Pregnancy Journey

Latia Lee started to try to get pregnant in July 2019. Nearly four years and three clinics later, she is due to have her first child in July. As Lee discusses in this episode of Let’s Talk Period on EndoTV with Diana Falzone, advocating…

EndoFound’s Global Patient Symposium to Welcome the Egg Whisperer

EndoFound’s Global Patient Symposium to Welcome the Egg Whisperer

A decade ago, one of Dr. Aimee Eyvazzedeh’s patients couldn’t get pregnant and was about to abandon the hope of growing her family. “I told her, ‘Don’t give up. I still think there’s a chance,’”…

Actress Lexie Stevenson Continues to Advocate for Endometriosis Awareness

Actress Lexie Stevenson Continues to Advocate for Endometriosis Awareness

Lexie Stevenson is the lead actress in a movie scheduled to air on Lifetime and Amazon Prime in a few months. Still untitled, the picture is based on The Tinder Swindler Netflix documentary. Producers cranked out the filming in three weeks…

Bindi Irwin recovering well following surgery at Seckin Endometriosis Center

Bindi Irwin recovering well following surgery at Seckin Endometriosis Center

Renowned conservationist and Australian television personality Bindi Irwin recently underwent surgery in New York City at the Seckin Endometriosis Center in Lenox Hill Hospital. She is the daughter of the late Steve Irwin, best known for his…

Lawyer Drafts Bill to Teach Texas Public School Students About Endometriosis

Lawyer Drafts Bill to Teach Texas Public School Students About Endometriosis

One of Olivia Lee’s life mottos is, “The more you know, the more you owe.”  Lee, a special education attorney with Disability Rights Texas, put that adage into action by drafting House Bill 1298 with Texas Rep. Harold…

Connecticut Legislator Continues Push for Endometriosis Awareness and Research

Connecticut Legislator Continues Push for Endometriosis Awareness and Research

Connecticut State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest has been a powerful advocate for endometriosis patients during her three years in office. In this brief but impactful Endo TV episode of Let’s Talk Period with host Diana Falzone, Rep. Gilchrest…

EndoFound’s Annual Patient Day Returns in Person

EndoFound’s Annual Patient Day Returns in Person

EndoFound worked diligently to stay on mission through COVID-19, including with the informative and popular Global Patient Symposium, commonly referred to as Patient Day. By switching to a virtual format in 2020, the event continued to provide…

EndoFound’s 14th Annual Scientific Conference Will Dissect Latest Endometriosis Discoveries

EndoFound’s 14th Annual Scientific Conference Will Dissect Latest Endometriosis Discoveries

Only four papers on endometriosis are cited from 1926 to 1929 in PubMed—a database of 35 million scientific abstracts and references managed by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Among those, 32,698 include endometriosis.…

Esteemed Auctioneer Revved and Ready to Entertain at EndoFound’s 11th Annual Blossom Ball

Esteemed Auctioneer Revved and Ready to Entertain at EndoFound’s 11th Annual Blossom Ball

Harry Santa-Olalla has the charisma, presence, and passion of a traditional auctioneer, but he doesn’t prefer the term auctioneer. He says his job is to be the team captain, turning what is often a spectator sport—with most of the…

EndoFound’s New Director of Development Ready for the Challenge

EndoFound’s New Director of Development Ready for the Challenge

  Entering college, Jake Carlin knew he wanted to work in the nonprofit industry. He wasn’t sure in what capacity, but healthcare eventually rose to the top. “Being on the healthcare side was coincidental at first, but then…

EndoFound's New Scientific & Medical Director: Dr. Dan Martin

EndoFound's New Scientific & Medical Director: Dr. Dan Martin

When Dr. Dan Martin was 10 years old, his grandmother made him learn needlepoint. It wasn’t something many boys did in 1956, but she believed that the concentration and hand-to-eye coordination the craft required would lead her grandson…

Journalist Diana Falzone Begins New Role with EndoFound

Journalist Diana Falzone Begins New Role with EndoFound

Three years ago, after Diana Falzone’s second endometriosis surgery, she and her doctor had a profound conversation. It was a moment so powerful, they were both brought to tears. “He asked me to help him carry the torch to bring…

Mrs. America Contestant Fighting For Endo Patients Everywhere

Mrs. America Contestant Fighting For Endo Patients Everywhere

Stacey Bruss has been competing in beauty pageants since she was eight years old. While she used to enter them purely for fun, she competes today with a mission: to bring awareness to and eventually find a cure for endometriosis. Bruss, from…

Ana Gonzalez Herrera Brings Global Marketing and Growth Experience to EndoFound's Advisory Board

Ana Gonzalez Herrera Brings Global Marketing and Growth Experience to EndoFound's Advisory Board

Ana Gonzalez Herrera’s endometriosis story is like that of so many corporate executives with the disease. She once gave a presentation in a male-dominated boardroom while masking her excruciating pain. Another time in Starbucks she doubled…

EndoFound’s New Marketing Director Is an Endo Patient with a Passion to Help Others

EndoFound’s New Marketing Director Is an Endo Patient with a Passion to Help Others

One afternoon in high school, Melissa Boudreau was doubled over in pain. She’d fought through it several times previously, but the severity of it on this day was unprecedented. She was sweating from head to toe and counting on the school…

EndoFound’s “Mind, Body & Soul” Workshops Begin this Week

EndoFound’s “Mind, Body & Soul” Workshops Begin this Week

During the coronavirus pandemic, organizations worldwide have continued to serve their clientele by creatively adapting to social distance rules. EndoFound has been no exception. On the heels of its grassroots “PeriodNow” campaign…

First Parent of a Patient Named to EndoFound Board

First Parent of a Patient Named to EndoFound Board

When Jody Grobman was asked by Dr. Tamer Seckin if she would consider becoming a member of the Endometriosis Foundation of America’s board of directors, it was an easy decision. “I’m a big fan of Dr. Seckin and what he does…

Rep. Finkenauer Hailed Coast to Coast for Endometriosis Testimony

Rep. Finkenauer Hailed Coast to Coast for Endometriosis Testimony

Photo - Tamer Seckin, MD, Cofounder,EndoFound, Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, Congresswoman Kathleen Rice, Madeleine K. Rudin, Board of Directors, EndoFound March 11, 2020 Words of gratitude and hope pour in for Iowa Congresswoman Washington,…

Iowa Congresswoman Shares Her Endo Story on U.S. House Floor

Iowa Congresswoman Shares Her Endo Story on U.S. House Floor

Credits EndoFound for helping her come forward, creates caucus to raise awareness Few people outside of family and friends knew that Rep. Abby Finkenauer had been living much of her young life with endometriosis – until she courageously…

Cosmetics Entrepreneur Donates Profits to Fight Endo

Cosmetics Entrepreneur Donates Profits to Fight Endo

In the fall of 2018, just seven months after launching Karmela Cosmetics, founder Nechami Tenenbaum wanted to donate some of the proceeds of her lipstick line to organizations that unite, empower, and educate women. “I didn’t want…

EndoMEtriosis: A Guide for Girls to Be Released  Worldwide on March 17, 2020

EndoMEtriosis: A Guide for Girls to Be Released Worldwide on March 17, 2020

Endometriosis takes an average of twelve years to diagnose. Twelve long years. That means most teenagers who have it suffer into at least their mid-twenties or early thirties before they have any clue what it is. They are repeatedly undiagnosed…