AmirAli Talasaz, Co-founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer at Guardant Health, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“August is World Cancer Support Month, a time to honor cancer patients, survivors, and the caregivers who support them each step of the way.
Recently, we were honored to partner with Patrick Dempsey to pay tribute to Americans from across the country who have passed from colorectal cancer, many of whom had been pillars of their communities and fierce colorectal cancer advocates themselves.
In this piece, I seek to share some of their stories, in hopes of honoring their legacies and continuing to raise awareness of the importance of early detection.
Rose Hausmann was one of 11 children. As her family tells us, she was the family’s matriarch ‘not in age, but in wisdom and advice’ Rose and her husband met when they were just five and seven years old. Their parents were friends. After their military service, they started dating. They were married in 1990 and had four children together.
Rose was a beloved mother, grandmother and friend to all. She battled colon cancer for 12 years, ‘with a vengeance,’ as her husband says, ‘never letting anything stop her.’ A passionate advocate, she spoke at many events, including on Capitol Hill. Oftentimes she would “walk up to strangers and ask them if they had gotten a colonoscopy. She wanted everyone to know this disease was beatable if caught early enough.”
‘Oftentimes, Rose would walk up to strangers and ask them if they had gotten a colonoscopy. She wanted everyone to know this disease was beatable if caught early enough.’
David Callan was an accomplished engineer, singer, songwriter, and guitar player who recorded an album of original music while undergoing treatment for Stage IV colorectal cancer. He left behind two daughters and a wife, who miss him dearly.
Kris Sokolowski was full of life, never passing up an adventure. He found his greatest joy experiencing the world with his family as a devoted husband and loving father to his son. Through life’s challenges, he leaned on his faith. Kris had a contagious laugh and positive energy that left a lasting impact on everyone who was blessed to spend time with him.
Tita Kefalas was the ‘fiercely loving mother, best friend, and cheerleader of every daughter’s dreams.’ For her, a life well-lived meant relentlessly finding joy in simple pleasures—whether it was in her afternoon Greek coffees, re-watching Columbo with her kitty, or, as her daughter puts it, in her ‘perpetual quest for the perfect shade of lipstick.’
Thank you to the families of Rose Hausmann, David Callan, Kris Sokolowski and Tita Kefalas for sharing their stories with us. We hope to play a small role in continuing to honor their legacies, as we work toward fighting and changing the future of colorectal cancer together.
When we detect colorectal cancer in earlier stages, we can prevent cancer deaths. That’s why Guardant Health has developed the Shield blood test as another choice for patients. To make colon cancer screening more accessible to more people. To save more lives.”
Other posts featuring AmirAli Talasaz on OncoDaily.
