Meet Julie

“MY MOM WAS DIAGNOSED ON VALENTINE’S DAY 2008, ONLY 2 MONTHS AFTER TURNING 49.”

Initially misdiagnosed as a gallbladder issue, Julie’s mother had a colonoscopy to “rule out” any colon issues. Upon completing the colonoscopy, the doctor couldn’t rule out cancer, so they had to wait for the biopsy results. It turned out that she had Stage 4 colon cancer, and had probably had it for 7-10 years prior to its discovery. 

Unable to do radiation, she underwent chemotherapy and went into brief remissions, only to have it return 9 months later. In August of 2010, she received a terminal diagnosis. She chose to live out the rest of her days feeling the best she could, and declined chemotherapy. She passed away in her home June 2012 with her two daughters by her side.

Colon cancer is the 3rd most common cancer, and Nebraska is ranked 38th in the nation in prevalence of colorectal cancer screenings among adults age 50 and over. The earlier it’s found, the more treatable it is. One of our biggest goals is to raise awareness to encourage more people to get screened.