Colorectal Cancer Coalition

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The cruel reality of colon cancer was introduced into my life via my best friend, Christine Niemi. She was originally diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer that had spread to the liver in August 2005 at the age of 28. After two major surgeries and months of chemotherapy, she had no evidence of disease. This blessed reprieve lasted only about 1 month. Then, in June 2007, a reoccurrence was discovered in her abdomen and she has been on chemotherapy ever since.

She made the difficult decision at the end of June 2009 to leave her life in L.A. behind and move back home. She also had to give up an internship with C3 this summer, which broke her heart. Within a day of arriving back home in Nebraska, she ended up having emergency exploratory surgery. Initially, the doctors were hopeful, but within a week she was back in surgery where they found she was actully full of cancer that had not been seen on previous scans. All the doctors could do was close her back up, and try to make her last days on this Earth as comfortable as possible.

She is surrounded by family and friends, and is wrapped in a blanket of peace and love from the support she is receiving via her Facebook group: "We Support Christine Niemi & We Want to Kick Colorectal Cancer's Butt!" Please feel free to join the group and post your stories and memories of Christine. We have been sharing them with her, and it makes her smile that beautiful smile of hers. She also has a blog that chronicles much of her journey: coloncancersucksass.blogspot.com.

She is quite an inspiration, and it is because of her that I went up to Capitol Hill in D.C. on March 24, 2009 as an advocate for C3's Call On Congress to try and fight for my friend and others in her situation -- and those yet to be diagnosed. Colorectal cancer does not just affect the middle-aged and elderly, it can happen to anyone. So, we need to stand up as a nation and fight cancer. I hope Christine's story inspires many of you to do just that.

Thank you for your support.
-Mandy Nelson

Christine passed away Saturday, July 18th at 7:45am. She will by deeply missed, always loved, and never forgotten by all those who were blessed to know and love her. She was an inspiration, a true friend, and a hero. Her beautiful smile, laugh and witty humor -- even in the midst of battling cancer -- is a shining example to all that life IS worth living and fighting for.

Christy did not want us to be sad. Instead, she wanted us to celebrate her life by learning from her experience, and by continuing her fight against colorectal cancer.

So, let's raise a toast to our beloved Christine...and then go kick some cancer ass!

~Mandy