Our Story
Colon Cancer Survivors Organization was created after witnessing a loved one's battle with colon cancer.
As we searched for ways to help our family member, we discovered a need that was difficult to ignore. While there were organizations providing information and awareness about colon cancer, we struggled to find an organization that could offer practical assistance with necessities such as medical supplies and transportation.
We believed that families facing colon cancer shouldn't have to navigate these challenges alone. So, instead of simply wishing there were more resources, we decided to create them.
In January 2025, the Colon Cancer Survivors Organization (CCSO) was founded with the goal of supporting individuals and families affected by colon cancer in ways that extend beyond awareness.
What We Do
Raise Awareness
Help increase awareness of colon cancer, survivorship, and the challenges individuals and families may face.
Provide Practical Support
Help individuals access essential medical supplies and transportation when they are facing barriers to care.
Offer Emotional Support
Recognize that colon cancer affects more than physical health and provide encouragement, connection, and support for survivors and their families.
Build a Community of Support
Create a place where survivors and families can find information, resources, understanding, and hope.
Who We Are
CCSO was founded by a mother and daughter who bring different experiences and perspectives to the organization but share the same commitment to helping others.
Nancy, President, works as an assisted living manager and brings experience in caregiving, leadership, and supporting individuals through their everyday healthcare needs.
Victoria, Secretary, is a nursing student with a passion for healthcare and patient-centered support. Her nursing education continues to shape her understanding of the physical, emotional, and practical challenges individuals and families may face throughout their healthcare journeys.
Together, we founded CCSO with the belief that supporting someone through colon cancer means looking beyond the diagnosis and recognizing the whole person—and the family supporting them.
The Story That Started This All
“My name is Tina. I was 49 years old when I learned that I had colon cancer.
For nearly two years before my diagnosis, I knew something wasn’t right. I had been experiencing bleeding and other symptoms, but I was told that internal hemorrhoids were the likely cause. Eventually, I asked my doctor about completing a Cologuard test. When it came back positive, I was sent for a colonoscopy.
The doctor found a large mass. The next day, he called me personally with the results: it was cancer.
I felt completely lost. I was caring for three of my young grandchildren when I received the news, and when I began to cry, they cried with me. They didn’t understand what was happening—they only knew their grandma was hurting. I will never forget that moment.
After my diagnosis, I often wondered whether the cancer might have been discovered sooner if my symptoms had been investigated more thoroughly. I will never know, but the experience taught me how important it is to listen to your body and advocate for yourself.
My treatment included surgery, 18 rounds of chemotherapy, and 30 days of radiation. The surgery also left me with a permanent colostomy, something I had not fully understood could happen before the procedure.
Today, I am incredibly thankful to be in remission. But remission does not mean cancer simply disappears from your life.
I still live with the fear that can come with every blood draw, CT scan, and follow-up appointment. I also care for my colostomy every day and deal with concerns many people never have to think about—whether I have enough supplies, whether my bag might leak, and how others may react in public.
These things may seem small to someone who has never experienced them, but when they become part of everyday life, they are not small at all.
Sharing my story is not easy, but I hope it might help someone else.
If there is one thing my experience has taught me, it is this: listen to your body and advocate for yourself. Ask questions. If something doesn’t feel right, say so. Make sure you understand your diagnosis, your treatment options, and how those treatments may affect your future.
To every survivor reading this, I wish you the very best. And to those still in the middle of the fight: keep going, even on the days when you don’t feel strong.
I am still here.
I am a survivor.
And this is my story.”
—Tina, Nancy’s daughter
Our Values
Compassion
We treat every survivor and family with empathy, understanding, and respect.
Empowerment
We provide information and resources that help survivors and families feel confident in their healthcare journey.
Community
We connect survivors, families, caregivers, and advocates through support and shared understanding.
Integrity
We act with honesty, transparency, and accountability in everything we do.
Advocacy
We raise awareness and advocate for better access to care and resources for those affected by colon cancer.
Hope & Wellness
We support the physical and emotional well-being of survivors while encouraging hope, resilience, and life beyond diagnosis.