Albion lights up blue in support of colorectal cancer patients
ALBION, Neb. -- April may signal the end of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, but for 36-year-old Ashley Pedro, the battle continues every day.
“I'm not dying anytime soon, because I'm stubborn as H-E-double-hockey-sticks,” Pedro said.
In Albion, Pedro's community has rallied to support her. Blue is the color used to promote colorectal cancer awareness.
“I have stage four colorectal cancer,” Pedro said. “So for patients like me and survivors like me, advocating isn't just the month of February in the month of March it's 24/7 365.”
“Like I think about how things would be different if she wouldn't ever have been diagnosed,” said Pedro’s step daughter Alexis Pedro. “I feel like it brought our family closer together.”
Pedro is calling to Congress in regards to the Labor of Health and Human Services Appreciations Bill, a bill that would grant $51 million to underfunded areas dealing with CRC.
“When I'm advocating, it's not for me, it's for everybody else,” Pedro said.
According to the Center of Disease Control, colorectal cancer is the number two cause of death for both men and women nationwide. Additionally in that report, there are 53,000 projected deaths for this year due to CRC.
In Nebraska, the recommended age to get tested is between the ages of 45 and 72, according to the Nebraska Colon Cancer Screening Program.
Post a selfie to social media and title it #STRONGARMSELFIE.
Each post will donate $1 to fighting CRC and donating to research.
Video courtesy of Ashley Pedro.