Wearing blue for me signifies the resiliency of my own personal experience with colon cancer. My maternal grandmother was diagnosed in 2017 with Stage 4 colon cancer. For months that felt like years I became her sole caregiver at the young age of 33 years old. I am proud to have been able to dedicate my time to my grandmother at the end of her 84 years of life. She passed Sept. 29th 2018.

I pray this campaign will open up more dinner conversations within households about how to recognize early warning signs. To those families that are currently experiencing this, I sympathize with you; you’re not alone. There are support groups available for you.

I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve our community once more by bringing awareness for colorectal cancer through the Women in Blue Campaign. The American Cancer Society estimates that 154,270 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer in 2025, and 52,900 will die from the disease.  New findings also show that the rate of new diagnoses of colorectal cancer in men and women younger than 65 years of age has increased. Prevention is key when dealing with cancer! Regular colonoscopy screening is crucial for early detection and prevention, especially for individuals with family history of colon cancer.