By Laura McAlister
Megan Crane isn’t just using her fun, flirty designs for fashion. With a cute little teal number she designed in 2010, she’s helping fund research for an early detection diagnostic test for ovarian cancer.
Inspired by a young woman who lost her life to ovarian cancer, Megan, the designer for the Florida-based Judith March clothing line and a 2003 Hoover High graduate, decided to design a dress that would help raise money for the Laura Crandall Brown Ovarian Cancer Foundation.
Laura Crandall Brown lost her battle with ovarian cancer at age 24 in 2009. Although Megan didn’t know Laura personally, her story impacted the 26-year-old.
“My mother was really good friends with Laura’s aunt, Rachel Sizemore,” Megan said. “We always heard about Laura through her. I remember seeing her wedding photos and thinking how pretty she looked, and then shortly after that we learned she had cancer and was having to go through chemotherapy.”
Laura was diagnosed with ovarian cancer shortly before her November 2008 wedding to Walter Crandall. She died almost a year later on Dec. 11, 2009.
Her family and friends formed the Laura Crandall Brown Ovarian Cancer Foundation to grant Laura’s wish to help find an early detection diagnostic test for ovarian cancer. If found early, the cancer is highly treatable.
Like many close to Laura and her family, Megan’s mother, Kim, joined the foundation.
“My mom was on the board, and they started doing all these fundraisers,” Megan said. “The biggest one is Taste of Teal. I started thinking of a way I could help raise more money, and I thought I could design a dress.”
Megan’s Think of Laura Dress fits right in the Judith March line. It’s strapless with a hemline just above the knee. It also represents the fight to treat and cure ovarian cancer. The dress is teal, the signature color for ovarian cancer awareness, and has a white bow sewn on the front.
The dress was first auctioned at the 2010 Taste of Teal event. Then 1,000 were produced, and $10 for each one purchased goes to the Laura Crandall Brown foundation.
“I love the dress,” Megan said. “It’s cute. It kind of reminds me of a Tiffany box. The teal is a beautiful color, and it goes to a good cause.
“We produced 1,000 dresses, so that’s $10,000 that could go to the foundation.”
