Caregiver Continues to Raise Awareness in Honor of Her Late Husband

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Champion Stories
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November is National Family Caregivers Month, dedicated to recognizing and honoring family caregivers across the country. This month, Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC) is sharing caregiver stories, educating communities on the issues caregivers face, and increasing support for caregivers. 

Traci at 2019 Ambassador Training

Fight CRC Advocate, and Ambassador Traci Bryan was a caregiver for her husband, Kevin, for four years before he passed away on March 16, 2021, after a courageous and hard-fought battle with cancer. Through her years as a caregiver, Bryan turned to communities like Fight CRC to not only help her find new treatment options for her husband but find support and community for herself as a caregiver. Since her husband’s death, Bryan continues to fight alongside Fight CRC to raise funds for research and rally on Capitol Hill for policy change. 

Bryan’s husband, Kevin, was diagnosed with stage IVa colon cancer in 2016. In March 2019, Traci Bryan made the brave decision to join 150 Fight CRC advocates in Washington, D.C., to meet with congressional representatives and advocate on behalf of all those impacted by colorectal cancer (CRC). 

“I hope that everyone reading this who is a caregiver or affected by colorectal cancer will take that brave step to share their story and find their people,” said Bryan. 

Caregivers at the 2021, Climb for a Cure in Tahoe, CA

In 2020, Bryan participated in Fight CRC’s program that helps advocates secure state proclamations by requesting and obtaining a governor’s proclamation for Missouri to recognize March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. In August 2021, she joined over 100 advocates in Tahoe, California, and over 500 others across the country for Fight CRC’s Climb For a Cure, an event that supports cutting-edge research, lifesaving awareness, and advocacy. As a Fight CRC Ambassador, Bryan actively participates in Fight CRC’s mission to impact legislation for research, improve access to high-quality care, and increase CRC prevention efforts by reducing barriers to CRC screening.  

Being a CRC patient is mentally grueling, and being a family member of someone fighting CRC is mentally grueling. But, caregivers like Bryan are looking for hope, and they’re finding it at Fight CRC. 

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