Lawyer and colorectal cancer screening advocate Julienne G. Edwards, who spoke eloquently of her battle with colon cancer as a keynote speaker at the 2017 NCCRT Annual Meeting, has passed away at the age of 30.

Julienne was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer soon after completing her law degree at the age of 26. She then channeled her talent and passion for advocacy by joining Fight Colorectal Cancer as grassroots advocacy manager in 2017. In her keynote, Julienne credited the Affordable Care Act with saving her life–she was still on her parents’ insurance at the time of her diagnosis–and shared a moving reflection on the role that survivors can play in advocacy efforts. To close the meeting, Julienne joined Richard Wender, MD, NCCRT chair, in song. Multi-talented, Julienne was a trained vocalist with an incredibly beautiful voice. To say that the audience was moved and inspired would be a vast understatement.

Please join us in expressing our sincere condolences to Julienne’s family. Learn more about Julienne, her life and advocacy efforts, in this moving story published in the Baltimore Sun.