At 4 months pregnant, my mother (Skylee Tinker) was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer. At first we were told it was going to be just surgery to remove part of her colon; things quickly escalated to her doing 12 rounds of chemo.

My husband and I had to face the reality of CRC could affect our son and that’s when I started advocating.

I joined CoxHealth’s Colorectal Awareness Board as well as applying to Call-on Congress. Every CRC related event we have been apart of, has not only healed me, but also my mom.

It’s important to share my mom’s story and my story as a caregiver so others don’t have to fight alone. It’s overwhelming to be diagnosed at 49 with no symptoms. Or have to question at 25 if my mom would get to see her grandson. As a caregiver I could not provider her the answers, peace, or community my mom was looking for during her diagnosis or treatment. I still can’t seem to help her find peace with scan anxiety or survivor’s guilt. Fight CRC helped provide that community to my mom and myself; I want others to know that we are here and willing to stand with them. Every voice and every story matters in the fight for the cure.