Wright: Colon cancer didn’t kill me, my daughter; don’t let it kill you

Recently, I received word that a friend’s father had lost his battle with colon cancer. His passing hit close to home.

Seven years ago, and with no symptoms, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer following the very first colonoscopy of my life. One year later, my daughter, Kimberly Bradstreet, then a 27-year-old kindergarten teacher, was diagnosed with Stage 3-C colon cancer.

Three different DNA tests show that our cancers are not linked and that Kimberly’s cancer may come from her mother’s side.

Following surgery and months of chemotherapy, God restored my health. Kimberly’s battle was much more difficult. At one point her goal was simply to live to see her 30th birthday.

Kimberly’s cancer was a crisis that genuinely tested the strength and depth of my faith. As much as I did not care to go through cancer myself, God actually used my experience to prepare me to be the best Dad possible for Kimberly, in order to help her better fight her cancer and deal with the fear that she could die. I witnessed God at work and know that he is truly in control of everything.

Fortunately, God was not finished with Kimberly and has restored her health. She is still teaching kindergarten.

Together, we are paying it forward through advocacy and education on the state and national level, through personal support of others who are afflicted, and in raising awareness and funds for colon screenings for those at-risk.

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, but it is preventable. Sadly, most people older than 50 have never been screened even when their health insurance will cover the procedure. Don’t think 50 is a magic age to be screened, either, because people with a family history should be screened much earlier.

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, so I encourage you to be a leader in your family and among your peers by taking the initiative to get screened.

Columbia

This story was originally published March 25, 2015 at 8:00 AM.