Manoli Savvenas

Manoli Savvenas' Story

After a day of working in the yard, Savvenas felt weak, like he had never felt before. The former pro-wrestler turned jeweler soon went in for his yearly checkup where doctors performed several tests. He was behind on his colonoscopy, but did not know it. Shockingly, a colonoscopy revealed stage IV colon cancer. 

Savvenas first walked into our Downtown Springfield office on a mission to save lives. His first question to us at Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC) was, “How can I help?” He was proud that a national advocacy organization was headquartered here in his hometown, and he partnered with us to save more lives, in the Ozarks and beyond.

Remembering Savvenas

Savennas was a relentless champion from the start, not only in his own fight but also in the fight to raise awareness so other families can avoid the same pain.

“I never thought I would be in this position, where I would need help. But I have had a good role model with Fight CRC. They are helping people all over the world. It inspired me to help as well.” 

Savenna’s fight with colorectal cancer ended on December 31, 2022, but we vow to carry on his strength. He was a true star. We will keep fighting to see more people get screened, more lifesaving research get funded, and more people find hope.