“My husband, Terry, was diagnosed when my son, Aidan was 11 months old, and my other son, Aaron was nine years old. It was quite a challenging time as a caregiver, working full time, and being a mom. Unfortunately, Terry passed away 3 years later. Now I’m the caregiver to my 97-year-old mother, who was diagnosed with CRC at the age of 93. You are never too old to have a colonoscopy! She is currently doing well. 

“After my mom’s surgery, I was searching for a way to give back and help those within the colorectal cancer community. I found the Fight CRC Ambassador program through a Google search. While at Call-on Congress, Andi Dwyer suggested the Research Training Advocacy and Support (RATS) program to me. 

“The most impactful thing I’ve done so far as a research advocate was sitting on the Peer-Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) review panel. There were some amazing research applications submitted and I greatly enjoyed doing my small part to hopefully get some of these research projects funded. 

“Research is necessary to triumph over the wily cancer beast so that no one will ever have to grow up without a parent due to this horrible disease.”