I’m doing this for a few different reasons.

The first, family.

My grandmother passed from colorectal cancer at 60 years old in 1995. There was no testing like FIT at that time or for quite a while. If there was there would be a good chance she could have lived a lot longer.

My daughter. So hopefully this won’t be something she needs to worry about she’s my age for herself, her children, or even us her parents.

The second, community.

I work for surgeons who see this daily. They help people navigate this scary thing, and prepare them for the battle ahead. I hear their fears and concerns when booking follow ups, calling with other tests, relaying messages back and forth to the doctors. We see more patients coming in younger and younger every year, as young as 40 years old.

We need something better, for everyone’s future. The more the word is spread, the more awareness we provide, the more we can do to make things better.

Every day, one Nova Scotian dies from a disease that is 90% preventable: colorectal cancer.

More than 100 incredible community members Get Up There every year to raise funds and awareness for colorectal cancer screening and prevention. Funds raised through GUT outfitted a third Endoscopy Suite at Dartmouth General Hospital, used exclusively for screening FIT-positive (Fecal Immunochemical Test) patients, effectively eliminating the waiting list for these individuals.

Since then, GUT funds have supported a public education and awareness effort aimed at encouraging more individuals to complete and return their FIT tests. Currently, only 45% of individuals who receive the kit complete and return it. Early detection is the best weapon we have to fight colorectal cancer. Join us - together, we can make a difference!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xAF1KRLi_g