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A Personal Quest
An AGH cancer survivor and her family organize fund-raiser to benefit colon and rectal cancer awareness and research.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
This is one of Kathryn Knight’s favorite quotes, and one she knows, from personal experience, to be true. Over the course of her life, she has experienced moments both joyful and sad that have left her breathless.
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 One such moment was the shock of hearing right as she and her husband were preparing to move to their lakeside dream home that she was diagnosed with Stage III rectal cancer. But, with her persistent optimism, strong personal faith and the help of what she calls the Allegheny Cancer Center dream team, Knight is now cancer-free and counting down to the crucial five-year remission mark.
I felt so much empathy, like they were my friends, she says of the Allegheny General staff who guided her through an aggressive regimen of radiation treatments, surgery and chemotherapy. When you are ill, its such a blessing to have people who heal, comfort and encourage. That is truly what the AGH experience represents to my family.
Grateful for her own recovery and eager to promote awareness, Knight teamed up with her family and the Allegheny General Center for Colon and Rectal Surgery to organize the first annual Big Blue Quest to benefit colon and rectal cancer education and research. Held March 28, the 5K run/walk and 2K run/walk brought in more than $47,000 and attracted approximately 400 participants.
David Medich, M.D., director of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at AGH, puts the importance of events like the Big Blue Quest into perspective. Approximately 148,000 new cases of colon and rectal cancer are diagnosed each year. And, as with most forms of cancer, early detection via regular screening and treatment are the keys to beating the disease. While colon and rectal cancer is preventable, screenings for colorectal cancer lag far behind those for other cancers such as breast, cervical and prostate cancer despite the widespread availability of highly effective colorectal screening tests.
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| Survivors of colorectal cancer gather in North Park in front of a tree displaying ribbons purchased in honor/memory of a colorectal cancer patient. More than 70 colorectal cancer survivors took part in the first Big Blue Quest. |
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Dr. Medich and the Knight family know that's where increased public awareness and education come into play. As part of the Big Blue Quest, they organized exhibits and provided educational materials on colon and rectal cancer. Event participants were also able to receive a family history assessment that included surgical, pathological and hereditary factors.
What many people do not realize is that colon and rectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death of men and women in the U.S., explains Knight. “But, the good news is that if it is detected early its 90 percent curable. In fact, this disease might be eliminated through proper screening, recognition of symptoms, awareness of family and personal medical history, and healthy living.
Knight is now fulfilling her dream of living in a lakeside home with her husband, Bob where they are actively involved in their new church, supporting a young family facing rectal cancer. I was afraid I might never get to live here, she says. But I know God was shining His light through out family, leading us to get this message out and help others.
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