Lafayette Hill teen to appear in national cancer awareness campaign

17-year-old lost her father to cancer, will advocate on Capitol Hill for colorectal cancer awareness

Sarah MacLeod 17, will be one of 12 people featured in a new awareness campaign launching on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for March, which is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. MacLeod is an advocate with the national advocacy group Fight Colorectal Cancer.

The “Fight for More” campaign featuring MacLeod emphasizes what the colorectal cancer community needs “more” of, especially from lawmakers. MacLeod’s photo and story will appear on outdoor digital boards next to the first-ever colorectal cancer installation in D.C. featuring over 27,000 blue flags representing the expected cases of colorectal cancer in people under age 50 if something doesn’t change.

MacLeod lost her dad, John, to colorectal cancer when she was just 14 years old. John was an outspoken Ambassador and later a board member for Fight Colorectal Cancer before his passing in 2019. Sarah is continuing his vision. The MacLeods are putting a face to the disease and showcasing why the status quo is not OK — we must do more to save lives. In addition to her photo appearing in the National Mall March 13-18, 2022, her story will be featured on Fight CRC’s Facebook page.

“Although he’s no longer here, I want to keep speaking out and sharing my dad’s story,” MacLeod said. “I want to share my story. My dad was on a mission to eradicate colorectal cancer, and I plan to carry that forward.”

Although it’s a preventable cancer with timely screening, and a cancer that’s very treatable and beatable if caught early, colorectal cancer is currently the No. 2 cancer killer. Young cases are also on the rise, and it’s estimated that colorectal cancer will be the leading cause of cancer deaths among those ages 20-49 in the next eight years if something doesn’t change. MacLeod has dedicated a year of volunteer time to Fight CRC to use her story to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms, educate people about screening options, push policymakers to allocate more funds to research, and support Fight CRC’s research plan, Path to a Cure.

“This year we’re heading to the National Mall to get attention for colorectal cancer and ask our lawmakers to champion, support and prioritize colorectal cancer,” said Anjee Davis, president of Fight CRC. “Our Ambassador stories will put a face to the issues at hand and showcase why we need urgent action now.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO Sarah MacLeod, now 17, appears in this file photo with her dad John, who died of colorectal cancer when Sarah was 14. She is following in his footsteps fighting for cancer awareness.