New Chapters: Thank You and Farewell

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Fight CRC News
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As I reflect on my 4+ years at Fight CRC, it’s difficult to put into words how incredible it’s been to work alongside survivors, caregivers, medical professionals, researchers, and the Fight CRC staff who are fighting every single day to find a cure for colorectal cancer. While I was trying to decide which memories to share, and how I wanted to say farewell to this community who means so much to me, I kept coming back to this theme of adversity.

The first year I attended Call-on Congress (Conc), I randomly jumped in with a group led by Chad Shrack to observe and watch the day unfold. Everyone was dressed in their nicest attire ready to storm their legislators’ offices when the skies opened up and it began to pour. And those who have attended ConC know: The House and the Senate do not exist in one conveniently enclosed location. As my group and I stood in the rain waiting to get through security, I was watching the faces of everyone else behind me – expecting people to start throwing in the towel. But the beauty of it was, no one went home. Everyone stayed and ran through the rain to meetings, huddled for warmth, and laughed through drenched clothes. 

In 2021, Climb for a Cure was held in Lake Tahoe. As we were on our way to California, two massive forest fires broke out and smoke covered the Basin. Our plans to hike in the Olympic Valley changed by the minute and by the time a decision could be made, we had reached plan Z.  To say I was amazed by the openness and grace that our community showed during the trip would be the understatement of the year. Survivors and caregivers – young and old, from near and far – embraced what it meant to be there, whether they were climbing a mountain or walking a paved path around a lake (and then jumping in of course). 

Through my time at Fight CRC, it’s become extremely apparent that not even Mother Nature nor the four elements can stop our community. Whether it’s our amazingly intelligent group of research advocates embracing new research principles for the first time; caregivers showing up to Ambassador Training after they’ve lost a loved one; or even the grit that everyone has shown navigating the pandemic; it’s apparent that the Fight CRC community is relentless when it comes to adversity. At the end of the day – this group has faced cancer head-on and knows that there is nothing they can’t overcome. 

Although I will be heading off in a new direction, I have learned more from the Fight CRC community than I could have ever imagined. There’s a quote that reminds me of the work we do every day: “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” I have no doubt that our group of survivors, caregivers, researchers, providers, and Fight CRC staff will lead the charge to find a cure for colorectal cancer. I am forever grateful to be a part of this fierce community.