PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A local resident is headed to the Big Apple for a national awareness campaign after surviving a fight with cancer.
Scott Oomen of Portage will be one of 24 people featured in the new “No Excuses” campaign which is launching in New York City’s Times Square in March for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
Oomen was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer when he was 44 years old and was selected to become an Ambassador for Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC), the country’s leading colorectal cancer advocacy organization. The campaign will appear in New York City during the first week in March. Oomen’s story will also be featured on Fight CRC’s Facebook page.
Colon and rectal (colorectal) cancers make up the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. among men and women combined. Sixty percent of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented with screening. Oomen has dedicated a year of volunteer time to Fight CRC to raise awareness of the importance of screening using his personal story in an effort to save lives.
“I want to make people aware of the dangers of not getting screened and help them understand the symptoms that should lead to getting tested. Because Fight CRC has been instrumental in my recovery, I wanted to join them and become a national voice for early detection and testing,” said Oomen.
His story is one of many stories launching the annual Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month campaign, a movement uniting over one million survivors of colorectal cancer and their loved ones to get behind a cure and prevent future cases with screening. Research has shown that personal stories are one of the most effective motivators when it comes to getting people screened for colon and rectal cancers. Oomen’s story will help debunk the myths around colorectal cancer and encourage those delaying screening to drop the excuses.
“Each year, Fight CRC selects a group of Ambassadors from across the country to represent our community year-round, and especially during March, Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month,” said Anjee Davis, president of Fight CRC. “These Ambassadors bravely rally to raise awareness for this disease. We are certain that their stories will resonate with people and provoke them to look past the excuses and get screened.”
In a study conducted by Fight Colorectal Cancer and Komodo Health, results showed that COVID-19 has delayed and postponed colorectal cancer screening. According to Clinical Oncology News, delays in colorectal cancer screenings during the coronavirus pandemic will result in a 12% increase in cancer deaths over the next five years.
Comments