On August 28, 2020, the world received notice that our beloved super hero, the Black Panther star Chadwick Aaron Boseman, was dead at 43 years old. In the weeks following his death, we learned Chadwick died of Colon Cancer. Less than four months later on December 7, 2020, Actress Natalie Desselle-Reid known for her roles in “Madea’s Big Happy Family,” “B.A.P.S.,” and “Def Jam’s How to Be a Player” also died from colon cancer at 53. Played out on television on the popular show, Real Housewives of Atlanta, Gregg Leakes, husband to NeNe Leakes who stars on the show died on September 1, 2021 after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He was 66 years old. For me, like many of you, this broke my heart experiencing three prominent figures dying of Colon Cancer within a year. This news, combined with my work as a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Gastrointestinal Clinical Research Unit with one of the major hospitals, caused me to step on my soapbox and voice my thoughts. I took to my Facebook page and with a deep passion and concern for my people; I expressed my frustration and went on a rant about
Colon Cancer and the importance of early detection. I reiterated how Colon Cancer is the third leading cause of Death in America. Colorectal cancer rates are highest within the African American Community. According to the American Cancer Society, African Americans are about 20% more likely to get colorectal cancer and about 40% more likely to die from it than most other groups. Not only did I voice my concern on Facebook, but I used my position to voice my concern about getting this word out to the Gastroenterologist and Epidemiologist who I work for at the hospital. They heard me, and presented me with an opportunity to write a grant from the North Carolina Society of Gastroenterology, to bring awareness to the community. The kicker was I only had less than a month to get things together. I reached out to an organization and was given all the reasons it couldn’t happen. For a moment, I felt hopeless. Not being one to give up, I remembered who I was, and that I belonged to a group of incredible women and together we had an established network in the community. I presented the idea to Mrs. Peggy Tatum and without hesitation; she said yes.
