Meet the patients and caregivers bringing connection, education, and training to their COLONTOWN neighbors!
I was diagnosed with stage 3b colon cancer in August 2019, at age 36, and found COLONTOWN three months later, completely unmoored. I had been drowning in the physical, emotional, and mental weight of facing cancer as a young mother, and finding COLONTOWN was like being thrown a lifeline and pulled aboard an impressive ship full of experienced, strong sailors. My COLONTOWN neighbors saw me safely through the darkest period of my life. That experience changed everything. By the end of 2020, I had completed COLONTOWN's Empowered Patient Leader training and begun volunteering as host of On the Right Side, the neighborhood for those whose cancer originates in the right colon. I have spent over five years alongside my fellow "righties," and the work has given me profound purpose. I've also had the deep joy of facilitating more than 48 Book Nook discussions, one of the most meaningful spaces in my COLONTOWN life. For nearly five years, I served PALTOWN Development Foundation as Director of Operations and Finance, building the systems and infrastructure that allow this organization to do what it does. I've always been drawn to the intersection of people and systems. The best operational frameworks are the ones invisible to those they serve, quietly holding space so that the real work, the human work, can happen. Now, as Mayor of COLONTOWN, I get to be a caretaker of people. I hold that responsibility with the same sober dedication I once brought to financial compliance and legal stewardship, because the stakes are just as real. I come to this role with six years of being held by this community, and a lifelong commitment to holding it in return. I live rurally in Virginia, where I homeschool my children, play double bass in community orchestras, and keep a gargoyle in my kitchen as a reminder that even in the most ordinary spaces, there is room for watchfulness, art, and a bit of magic.
I was diagnosed with stage IV rectal cancer with metastasis to the liver in November 2013. In 2016, while searching for my place as a survivor, I discovered COLONTOWN and quickly found both my community and my purpose. My story has included recurrences, surgeries, radiation, chemotherapy, living with a temporary and now permanent colostomy. Throughout it all, the support of the COLONTOWN community has been invaluable. In 2020, I became a founding member of the COLONTOWN Cabinet, where we work collaboratively to help lead and support the community. I also joined the onboarding team that year and later became the Onboarding Coordinator. Welcoming new patients and caregivers is a true passion of mine. When someone hears the words “You have cancer,” their world can feel like it’s falling apart. My goal is to help them know they are not alone and that “We Are Here With You.” I also co-host several COLONTOWN groups, including ROCK’ N ROLL crew (Ohio & West Virginia), HOSPICE HARBOR, and LONG HAULER HOLLOW, and participate in the Empowered Patient Leadership (EPL) program, which helps members find their voices through peer-to-peer support. I’m deeply grateful to have found a home in COLONTOWN, where I’ve gained education, support, friendship, and purpose.
In May 2019, at age 36, I was diagnosed with stage IIIB colon cancer. With no family history and no known genetic predisposition, the diagnosis was both shocking and isolating. While still in the hospital, I began searching for information and connection. That search led me to COLONTOWN. From the moment I joined, I found a community of patients and survivors who understood exactly what I was going through. I connected with others facing young onset colorectal cancer, as well as local “townies” who quickly became some of my closest friends. For the first time, I didn’t feel alone. The support I received throughout treatment was invaluable. After completing chemotherapy, I knew I wanted to give back to the community that had supported me so deeply. I became an admin for several of COLONTOWN’s major neighborhoods and later stepped into a Community Leader role. Shortly after, I joined the Empowered Patient Leader (EPL) team, helping train and mentor others to help in our community. In 2022, I joined the COLONTOWN Cabinet. In addition to leadership and training, I support distribution efforts to expand awareness and ensure that more patients and caregivers can find the trusted information and connection that COLONTOWN provides. Serving this community has been incredibly meaningful and healing. What began as a search for support during one of the most difficult seasons of my life has become a deep commitment to helping others feel informed, empowered, and never alone.
I was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer on 5/5/21, have completed multiple surgeries, SBRT, and quite a bit of Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy. When I heard those words “You have cancer” as you can imagine, my world flipped upside down. I immediately thought…”How long do I have.” I am a husband to my wife Casey of 16 years, as well as a father to my 2 sons Logan and Parker. You can find yourself digging into a dark hole as a stage IV patient, while researching survival rates, treatment options etc. My nurse navigator recommended that I investigate the group “COLONTOWN.” This community has been a tremendous part of my treatment plan. They have helped me answer questions, seek advice, helped empower me to get a 2nd opinion, and helped me to become a better advocate for myself. The Empowered Patient Leadership program offered me a way to give back to others that have helped me along my journey. I proudly serve as admin for my local regional group The INDY CREW. I am also part of the COLONTOWN Cabinet, which manages the overall community.
I came to COLONTOWN as primary caregiver for my sister, Pam, who was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer in 2016. She endured numerous chemotherapies, surgeries, procedures, and hospital stays with a smile on her face and with a world-famous thumbs up.
COLONTOWN became Pam’s family. She loved meeting fellow patients and caregivers, both online and in person, and they certainly loved her. Sadly, Pam succumbed to her illness in December 2018.
COLONTOWN became as important to me as it was to Pam in the years I spent researching treatment options and connecting with other caregivers. I became the host for our liver metastases group, and then Community Leader for all the neighborhoods providing resources for metastases.
I am excited to serve the community as Caregiver member of the COLONTOWN Cabinet.
was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer with mets to liver in March of 2019 at the age of 29. My initial oncologist told me I was inoperable and offered palliative chemotherapy. As a mom of a young toddler and newborn this was simply not okay. As my way of coping I threw myself into research of therapies that may give me more time with my family. Shortly thereafter I found COLONTOWN. It was such an incredible relief to not only connect with people in the same situation, but to have access to such a wonderful network of knowledgeable advocates and materials. I began volunteering with COLONTOWN as host in the early onset neighborhood YOUNGSTOWN and the parenting neighborhood THE PTA in 2021. My goal is to be able to give patients the same hope COLONTOWN gave me and help them find the resources they need to cope with their diagnosis. In early 2022 I became community leader for ‘THE CIRCUS’ (know known as UNIQUENESS UNION) neighborhoods. These groups focus not on the disease specifically but hobbies, identity, and the practical matters of dealing with a cancer diagnosis. It’s so important to acknowledge one’s whole self when diagnosed with cancer, not simply responding to the symptoms; I’m so glad that these resources are available through COLONTOWN. In summer of 2022 I became a member of the COLONTOWN Management Team (the Cabinet), and stepped into the lead role of Mayor for COLONTOWN in January, 2025. After supporting The Cabinet, PALTOWN, and the COLONTOWN Community through a monumental platform change through 2025 I made the very challenging decision to step down from my role as mayor to focus on my own disease progression and to spend time with my family. I am so incredibly fortunate to still support The Cabinet on an as needed basis as well as be an active member of the COLONTOWN Community. My personal cancer journey has given me experience with ALPPS liver resections, BRAF V600E, VATS lung resections, lymph node excision, thoracic brachytherapy and EGFR symptom management.
After my dad was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer in 2009, our lives changed forever.
Watching him endure multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation fueled my passion for advocating for CRC patients and caregivers. In 2016, I found COLONTOWN, a community that provided hope, support, and essential resources. With their help, I became a stronger caregiver and advocate, ensuring my dad received the best possible care.
After joining COLONTOWN, I was honored to become an Admin for CAREPARTNER CORNER, where I connected with caregivers worldwide. I took pride in sharing my experiences with symptom and side effect management to support others. After losing my dad in 2018, I knew I had to continue advocating for colonoscopies and early detection. I wanted my Dad’s story to
continue to help others.
As COLONTOWN continued to grow, I contributed to the development of PARENT LOSS CONNECTION, a space for adult children who have lost a parent to CRC. My passion for integrating palliative care from diagnosis help me host PALLIATIVE PATHWAYS and HOSPICE HARBOR. I am also a host for LONG HAULER HOLLOW, a neighborhood focused on third-line
treatments.
I am now honored to join the COLONTOWN Onboarding Team and look forward to offering compassion and support to new Townies as they navigate this challenging time in their lives.
IIn February of 2021, I was diagnosed with stage III rectal cancer. I completed chemoradiation in April. Then, while looking for resources and support when undergoing chemotherapy, I found COLONTOWN. I instantly made real friendships with other people who understood me.
In early December of 2021, I was declared NED (no evidence of disease) and turned my focus to helping other CRC patients and care partners while navigating my own survivorship. I completed EPL (Empowered Patient Leader) training in June of 2022 and began serving as a community host in the MIDDLEBURY MANOR and RECTALBURGH neighborhoods.
I am passionate about making genuine connections and helping patients and carepartners. Joining the onboarding team will allow me to serve COLONTOWN’s members and connect new members with neighborhood communities that will offer support and knowledge.
I was diagnosed with stage iv colon cancer with extensive mets to my liver in July 2014. I was 40 and a mom of a 6 year old. I had no family history and nothing genetic to explain why this happened to me. After my diagnosis I was looking for help, answers, support, anything because I had no one to turn to who could understand what was happening to our family. I googled colon cancer, bad idea. I searched Facebook and found COLONTOWN. I completed 3 rounds of xelox and had a failed liver resection. My surgeon decided PVE was our best bet. After that recovery, we had a successful 70% resection of liver and 2 months later colon resection. Then I restarted chemo. I officially finished chemo in November, 2015 and have been considered NED ever since. I volunteered with COLONTOWN to start a Wisconsin neighborhood; I have been the admin in Badgerburgh ever since. I am now also a trainer with the Empowered Patient Leader program. I love my COLONTOWN family for everything they have been able to provide me through our journey, so now I am able to give some of that back to others.
I am a stage 4 patient, diagnosed in November 2018, two days before my 51st birthday. My treatment path included a partial colectomy to remove the tumor from my sigmoid colon, chemo, liver resection, and more chemo. I disconnected from the last chemo cycle in August 2019. Since then, I have shown no evidence of disease. On the five-year anniversary of my survival, a milestone that many stage 4 patients do not reach, I ran a half marathon to celebrate.
I joined COLONTOWN soon after my diagnosis. Connecting with other stage 4 patients and learning the language of my disease from my peers made all the difference in my mental wellbeing while going through treatments. But that is not enough for me. I feel compelled to use my voice to educate others and support patients and caregivers in this community. The first EPL I attended was in 2019. Some time later, I became an admin for WINDY CITY CREW and GASTRO GARDENS.
In June 2023, I attended the EPL in Houston. Feeling energized from a weekend of education and connection, I proposed a new neighborhood, ZEN DEN. This neighborhood focuses on managing stress through yoga, meditation, breathwork, qigong, and other modalities.
More recently, I have accepted the role of Community Volunteer Coordinator. Developing ways to better support our amazing volunteers is a priority and I am excited to take on this challenge.
Thank you to our partner the Colon Cancer Coalition for their support of the Community Management Team since 2019!
In 2022, we lost three incredible members of our staff: Lindsey Musick, Jen Eldridge, and Steve Schwarze.
I am a Stage 3b rectal cancer survivor.
Immediately after my diagnosis in 2017, I joined COLONTOWN. By training, I am a DVM PhD, with post-doctoral training and research experience in Cell and Cancer Biology. I use this background to educate fellow patients and caregivers.
In COLONTOWN, I created the CRC101 educational neighborhood, which is a landing space for all new members. Here, I distill highly technical CRC-relevant information to easily-understandable nuggets. CRC101 attempts to provide people a “road-map” to their cancer journey.
I serve as a Patient Advocate with the Stand Up to Cancer CRC Dream Team, attend many CRC conferences, and am active on Twitter (@manjuggm). This enables me to engage in discussions with leading clinicians and researchers in the CRC field and bring that information back to COLONTOWN.
As Scientific Director, I host many of our DocTalk Zoom conversations, and oversee content development for COLONTOWN University.
I continue to look for opportunities where my training, cancer experience and collective patient perspective gained from COLONTOWN can be used for the benefit of society.
I am living with a chronic disease known as Stage IV colorectal cancer.
I am one of the growing many of early onset patients with no family history or typical risk factors trying to figure out how to juggle treatment, raise a toddler, and shift just about everything to coexist with cancer.
I passionately believe that knowledge and compassion help increase positive outcomes for those with cancer in their lives. COLONTOWN provides both of these in such a unique way and I am thrilled to participate in and further that mission.
I am a science communicator and editor. I started my career in genetics education, as the managing editor for an education nonprofit.
I am passionate about translating confusing topics so that everyone can understand them. I have a B.A. in English from Vassar College. I’m excited to lead COLONTOWN University's content development team and manage digital content for the organization.
My involvement with colorectal cancer began when my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 BRAF V600E mutation at the age of 42. Faced with the terrible prognosis, I began to research ways of giving him access to as many treatment options as possible, which are far fewer in France than in the USA. It was thanks to COLONTOWN that we discovered an early-phase clinical trial in Belgium in which my husband was enrolled in his third line of treatment and which enabled him to gain 6 months of life without disabling side effects.
As there is no European colorectal cancer patient and caregiver group, we created one within COLONTOWN to facilitate the exchange of information between Europeans.
COLONTOWN and the resources of COLONTOWN University are an immense source of learning and empowerment for patients and caregivers. Gaining autonomy enables patients and their loved ones to discuss with their medical teams and make informed choices, sometimes even finding new treatment options.
I hold two master’s degrees in language didactics and have worked for some fifteen years in the field of language learning and teaching, particularly with technologies and around the issue of empowering learning.
I’m delighted to be able to contribute to the collective work of PALTOWN and COLONTOWN as curator of the Alanna Project, which collects patient-reported clinical trials experiences from COLONTOWN members.
I’m a biochemist and doctor in chemistry by training with a passion for all things immunology and research. I’m a Research Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin. I’ve spent the last 10+ years of my career researching strategies to enhance or modulate the immune system though synthetic and natural compounds as means of treating infections and cancer.
In 2019 my life changed abruptly as my young husband was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer. With a grim prognosis and a very deficient medical system, I was faced with the biggest challenge of my life: finding doctors who could help us devise new treatment paths and defy that prognosis. This involved 4 different teams across continents, enrollment in two clinical trials and the set up of one trial from scratch to access a new technology not available in the country where he was being treated at the time.
Becoming a colorectal cancer advocate was not a path I envisioned for myself, but rather one that life unexpectedly led me to. Having witnessed the positive impact of patient education and advocacy on cancer care first hand has been nothing short of extraordinary. I’ve been in awe, seeing how the education, peer-support, and empowerment offered by the COLONTOWN community have positively impacted many patients and contributed to creating space for healing even in the absence of a cure. The positive ripple effect that it has had on my personal journey as a caregiver and my husband’s prognosis is certain.
I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to serve PALTOWN and COLONTOWN in this new role as a Research Librarian and Data Analyst and put all my knowledge and passion for science at the service of colorectal cancer patients.
I became involved in patient advocacy when my mother was diagnosed with incurable cervical cancer in 2012. Her doctor offered her very few options, so I undertook a deep dive into the world of cancer research, as well as corresponded with top researchers around the world about the latest developments.
My research led me to a promising clinical trial that gave my mother valuable additional years. This experience led me to found LifeTrials, a charity focused on informing patients of the latest research advances and clinical trials. My goal is to ensure patients are getting the best treatments and that all available options are considered based on the latest evidence.
When a close friend was diagnosed with CRC I joined COLONTOWN. I was blown away at how wildly supportive and knowledgeable the group was.
As Trials Curator, I research and inform the COLONTOWN community of valuable clinical trial options, providing easy-to-understand explanations of the latest research advances and topics at the forefront of CRC treatment research.
IIn 2022, at the age of 50, I was diagnosed with early stage rectal cancer in a screening colonoscopy. The cancer returned a few months later at stage 3a, leading to major surgery and six months of chemotherapy. COLONTOWN helped me through the fear and uncertainty after diagnosis and this amazing community guided me through all that was to come. Ironically, prior to my cancer diagnosis, I spent about 10 years as a second career oncology nurse. I worked for a major cancer center in the Southeastern United States in positions including inpatient care, outpatient infusions, oncology nurse navigation, and hospice. But I didn’t know what I didn’t know — being a patient changed my perspective on everything. In late 2023 I attended a COLONTOWN Empowered Patient Leadership program and knew I wanted to find a way to help. Working on the Content Development Team is the perfect marriage of my experiences on BOTH sides of the chemotherapy pump! When I’m not working on COLONTOWN projects, you’ll likely find me on a hiking trail in the north Georgia mountains; camping or hanging out with my husband and our two mutts; knitting; or with my nose in a book.
COLONTOWN is supported and managed by PALTOWN, a nonprofit dedicated to community and patient empowerment.
Our wonderful staff – almost all patients and caregivers themselves – keep the lights on, the wheels turning, and do all the innumerable tasks of running a small nonprofit. Please consider helping us!
