American Cancer Society's Hope Club is a place where anyone whose life has been touched by cancer can find community support. Larissa Reepmeyer wishes there was a place like this when her late mother had cancer.

“She had breast cancer, so she had, like, a pink cancer quilt," said Reepmeyer.

Larissa was just 38 years old when doctors told her she had cervical cancer.

“I didn't really have time to explore any other options,” she said. “I really didn't have time to take it all in, either. It was just straight into survival mode, I guess."

According to the National Cancer Institute, 14,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year. More than 4,000 die from cervical cancer annually.

Most are caused by the human papillomavirus, also known as HPV.

Dr. Brooke Lamparello of Samaritan OB/GYN suggests that all women should take responsibility for their cervical health. She also stresses that getting the HPV vaccine is the best preventative measure against this cancer.

"Find a gynecologist that you trust and you seek your preventative care every single year and get your routine pap smears," Lamparello said.

Reepmeyer hopes to create a community for herself and raise awareness for cervical health.

"I reached out to the NCC, which is the National Cervical Cancer Association, about getting a local chapter here in the Albany area. And through linking up with the Hope Club, we can get a support group that is specifically targeted for cervical cancer and provide specific support for people suffering from that and post treatment," Reepmeyer said.