Steps to Save Lives Virtual 5K October 2023

A message from our event chair:

I did not give much consideration to Esophageal Cancer until 2015 when my good friend Ernie’s wife Maggie was diagnosed.  After three years undergoing constant tests and treatments - some that worked for a brief period and some that did not - Esophageal Cancer took Maggie’s life in 2019. Her tragic passing left her loving husband and two young sons bereft.

The doctors who treated Maggie said that Esophageal Cancer was not a common cancer, that it was usually seen in older men.  Most troubling of all, they said it was not a curable cancer. The overall five-year survival rate hovers around 20%.

Then, just three years later, Esophageal Cancer had an incredibly devastating impact on my own life. My true love, my cherished husband of 24 years, Bobby, was diagnosed on September 21, 2021.  Bobby was only 56 years old.

No day, whether it was wonderful or painful, will be as deeply etched in my mind as that day.    It was the worst day of our lives up to that point, filled with fear, deep sadness, and shock. As hard as it was to hear the doctors tell us the news, it was so much harder to discover I was helpless.  I couldn’t do anything to take away Bobby’s fear, anger, or the horrible, destructive cancer that had invaded his body.

The news grew worse over the next week as we learned Bobby had Stage IV Esophageal Cancer that had spread to his stomach and liver.  His first and only chemo treatment took place on our 24^th wedding anniversary, and within a week he was hospitalized.  Less than a month after his diagnosis, our family joined me to bring him back to the home we loved. That’s where Bobby passed away on October 22, 2021.

Bobby’s cancer diagnosis was so shocking because he was active, played golf, traveled, attended concerts and ball games.  He went to the gym several times a week. Unlike Maggie, who experienced chronic heartburn, Bobby didn’t and he enjoyed meals with family and friends.  Looking back, there was only one time when he complained about food getting stuck and was unable to swallow.  This never happened again. It wasn’t until late August 2021 when he complained of feeling full without eating a usual amount of food that he made an appointment to see his doctor.

Living life without Bobby is not something I could even consider until it happened. He was such a large presence in my life and in the lives of our family and friends. We all miss his wide smile, his laugh, his witty sense of humor…. just some of the wonderful qualities that make Bobby unforgettable. We all grieve his loss.

The heartbreak and helpless feelings I’ve endured have left me with a determination to make a difference by helping others experiencing the same frightening diagnosis.  Most importantly, I wish to advocate for the need to make a test to determine the risk for Esophageal Cancer part of routine check-ups for anyone age 50 and older. 

This same intent is what led me to the Esophageal Cancer Action Network.  ECAN is a wonderful organization committed to fighting Esophageal Cancer through risk and awareness knowledge, research, funding, and advocacy efforts. That’s why I am honored to chair this October’s Steps to Save Lives Virtual 5K.  Together with ECAN, the steps we take and the stories we share like Maggie’s and Bobby’s and that of everyone impacted by Esophageal Cancer can help bring an end to this devastating disease in the future.  

ECAN started its work with a burning desire: make Americans aware of the risk of Esophageal Cancer posed by persistent heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (known as GERD).  

ECAN launched the first Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month effort in 2009 and since then, governments, businesses and other organizations throughout the nation have recognized April as Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month year after year! 

Awareness in NOT ENOUGH.  That's why we are an ACTION Network.
We believe an effective battle to end this devastating disease must be fought on several levels. 

While we relentlessy raise awareness, we are also working to 

• increase funding for research, and 
• educate patients and families about their options for prevention, early detection, and treatment 

ECAN has successfully

Deadly: One 1 out of 5 patients diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer in the US will survive 5 years  | Esophageal Cancer is the #7 Cancer Killer of Men in the United States  | Most is discovered at late stages, when treatment is rarely successful.​

Most Often Caused by Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Most EC in the US is Esophageal Adenocarcinoma (74%) caused by Reflux Disease  | Esophageal Adenocarcinoma increased 700% over the past 35 years in the U.S.  | Esophageal Adenocarcinoma is the fastest increasing cancer among American men  | Squamous Cell Carcinoma which is usually linked to smoking or drinking causes 26%.

Preventable: Barrett’s Esophagus is the only known precursor to Esophageal Adenocarcinoma  | Barrett’s Esophagus is caused by GERD, but the condition itself causes no symptoms  | Barrett’s Esophagus can be treated and eliminated, thereby preventing progression to Esophageal Cancer  | More than a Million Americans Estimated to be Unaware they Have Barrett’s Esophagus.

Largely Ignored: Lack of Awareness - Only 14% of Americans know that GERD can lead to cancer  | Lack of Screening - No Esophageal Cancer screening protocol in the U.S.  | Lack of Research Funding - Esophageal Cancer causes 2.6% of US cancer deaths, but receives just .5% of the Federal Cancer Research Budget.