Who is Pamela H. Watson? Pamela Hueschen Watson made her journey to the Lord on August 21, 2007 after her battle with ovarian cancer ended. She was 53 years old. Born in New Orleans to her wonderful parents, whose father was a Korean War veteran, Pam was a lifelong resident of Slidell. Pamela, often known as "Pam", the oldest of two brothers and one sister, married her high school sweetheart, adopted two children at birth and provided for a family that she held so dear to her heart. Pam graduated from Salmen High School in 1972 and was a flight attendant for Delta Airlines for 33 years. She reigned as Miss St. Tammany and Miss Slidell in 1975. She was a member of St. Luke the Evangelist Church where she taught CCD for many years and was recognized with the St. Luke's appreciation award in 2006. Pam's life was fulfilled with love and always shared her contagious smile! She was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in October 2004. Months later, a hysterectomy was performed to remove the softball-size tumor in her abdomen. Chemotherapy, a short remission, the return of the cancer and more chemotherapy drained all of her strength in battling this life-threatening disease. Still, she sought treatment at MD Anderson in Houston and the Cancer Treatment Center of America in Chicago. In early August 2007, hospice care was ordered and just two short weeks later, she was gone. Chanse Watson, Pamela's youngest son of two and the Founder/President of the Pamela H. Watson Ovarian Cancer Foundation, had always posed the question – “What if my mother was aware of ovarian cancer…would she have had a greater chance of winning this battle?” Then, when she had passed away, Chanse once again asked the same question. That question lead to an idea of hosting a cancer walk, sponsored by a fraternal organization which Chanse was a member of from 2007-2010. Soon after, a few of his fraternity brothers ventured out to help make this idea become a reality – printing out fliers, creating a simple website, advertising via radio stations, social media, and mass school emails, etc. The reality was witnessed by many in April 2009, when the Pamela H. Watson Ovarian Cancer Walk raised over $8,000, which was donated to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. A local radio station conducted live interviews and advertised for the event! The possibilities then seemed endless. This once dream, was not only a successful and an accomplished one, but one that Chanse felt could reach further than the small college town in North Louisiana, with the possibility of reaching out across the United States or even globally. This is when the development of the Pamela H. Watson Ovarian Cancer Foundation commenced, officially recognized by the State of Louisiana as a non-profit organization in August 2012.
