Advocacy doesn’t start in a policy meeting. It starts with people—ordinary individuals who experience something extraordinary and choose to act.
Each month, we’re shining a light on advocates across the Fight CRC community who are turning personal experiences into meaningful change. These are the voices pushing for better research, stronger policies, and more support for every person affected by colorectal cancer.
This month, we’re honored to feature Alex Glade. Grounded in love for her family and a deep sense of purpose, Alex is transforming loss into action—working to ensure others have more time, more connection, and more hope.
Read more about Alex’s advocacy journey below.
What first got you involved in advocacy and the fight against colorectal cancer?
We took my mom to urgent care in late January 2023, drove her to the Emergency Department the same day, and she was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. She was in and out of the emergency department and in pain until she passed away less than 80 days later. It was heartbreaking to witness her decline. She meant the world to our family and helped me raise my three kids.
I would say that the pain of losing her was so hard to articulate, and my grief had nowhere to go. I think I reached out to several people, and Brooks Bell shared that FightCRC was doing incredible work and collaboration to support CRC Fighters, survivors, and family members advancing research, policy, and actions to truly make the patient and caregiver experience healthier, more informed, and more supported.
I think I even missed the signup deadline to do Call-on Congress in 2024, but when I reached out, Olivia Henswel was kind enough to welcome me. Everyone at Call-on Congress was so genuinely caring. They truly welcome and empower any community member to find what they want to affect related to the fight.
FightCRC is one of those organizations that has no ego, it’s all about supporting people and making a positive impact. Of all the organizations I’ve worked for or volunteered with, it has been remarkable to see how much FightCRC cares about the mission and all people who are not only affected by CRC but also raising awareness about it (hopefully allowing more people to live fully).
What encouraged you to take your advocacy beyond Call-on Congress?
A few days before my mom passed, I had asked her if she had any wishes or hopes. She said she hoped that nobody would have to experience colorectal cancer. It thrust me into a total reexamination of how I invest the rest of my time on earth and what really matters.
Since then, I have wanted to double down on a few things, being in service to others and to care deeply and enact love for family, friends, and strangers. I’ve tried to better understand how we (as people) learn about our own health and what decisions we can make and when so that people can thrive and live healthier, connected, and purpose-filled lives.
I hoped to make mom’s life story mean something to people outside our family and use it to drive helpful action in the world. She lived a life of service to others and always cared about helping family, friends, and her community. She began her adult life as a teacher, and in a way, sharing her story can continue to educate and motivate others to care for their health in a preventive way while supporting those who are currently impacted by CRC.
It can shift a story of loss and allow my mom’s incredibly loving and caring spirit to continue helping others. I hope that our work could potentially give others more time with their families. My mom fought hard because she loved her family, and time with us was something she cherished. I would hope I could help others indirectly or directly have many more healthy years in which they thrive and ask how they can use their lives to support others.