Our very first Hero of the Month, Briana Kirby (pictured above, middle), told us about what she does to spread awareness about colon cancer and why:

"In 2006, my mom, Cindy, was diagnosed with stage-IV colon cancer, just before her 47th birthday. After several surgeries and countless rounds of chemotherapy, she died at the age of 52. In honor of my mother, I’ve decided to run a half marathon, every month, for a year. While some people may think it’s crazy, I say, it’s still easier than going through chemotherapy."

"I also started a blog called Still Easier Than Chemo. My mission is to help fund colon cancer research. I want to do everything I can to help."

Briana also gave us her two cents on the Exact Sciences mission:

"I think that what Exact Sciences is trying to do is incredible and will hopefully improve the number of people that get screened for colon cancer. The sooner you catch the disease; the better and the more likely that you’ll survive."

Read Briana’s full interview here.

August’s Hero of the Month was colon cancer survivor Gloria Borges (pictured above). She described her experience with colon cancer and what she did to help others in her situation:

"I started my blog Wunderglo in October 2010 … I heard from four friends who are all women between the ages of 28 and 32 who had noticed something was different about their bodies and their GI health."

"Because of my motivating words and personal experiences shared through my blog, they urged their doctors to do a colonoscopy. Each woman found pre-cancerous polyps."

Read Gloria’s full interview here.

November’s Hero of the Month, colon cancer survivor and Colondar model Candace Henley (pictured above), told us about her experience modeling for the Colondar:

"When I met the other models, I felt like I met my long lost sisters and brothers. Before the shoot, I had hidden my scar from the world and myself because it reminded me of the tragedy I had experienced through cancer."

"Mark, the photographer, has a wonderful way of making you feel beautiful despite your scar and instead of tragedy; it became a symbol of my triumphant survivorship. It meant that I could see the beauty in myself and in my scar, it meant that I was a survivor and not alone."

Read Candace’s full interview here.

Thank you to all of our 2013 heroes for exhibiting such strength and courage in the fight against colorectal cancer. We are humbled and inspired by your willingness to share your stories.

You can look forward to meeting more Heroes in 2014!

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