Finding hope and healing with the Alliance

When Rodney Cummins started experiencing troubling digestive symptoms in 2015, he and his family couldn't imagine the heartbreaking journey ahead.

Despite facing barriers due to age-related insurance restrictions, 49-year-old Rodney pursued a colonoscopy. The results revealed stage IV rectal cancer, and within months, Angela Cummins and her then nine-year-old daughter, Marleigh, lost a husband and a father — transforming their lives forever.

"There isn’t a day that goes by that Marleigh and I don’t wish Rodney was still here," Angela said. 

But through their grief, they found support from the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, the nation’s largest nonprofit dedicated to ending this disease.

Discovering a Community of Support

During Rodney's illness, Angela received crucial guidance from the Alliance, helping her navigate complex care decisions and understand treatment side effects. 

“The Alliance’s Cancer Care team helped me understand side effects of treatment that even doctors couldn’t explain,” Angela said.

Following Rodney’s death, Angela found solace and solidarity in the Alliance’s weekly online grief support group.

“There were several of us in the caregiver group that later became part of the grief group," she said. "It’s a sort of camaraderie — a club that no one wants to join but where we support one another through incredibly difficult times."

Marleigh also turned to creativity to cope, channeling her emotions into art, baking, and fundraising. She began creating clay figurines, watercolor paintings, and unique "smash art" greeting cards, raising over $500 for colorectal cancer research. 

These creative endeavors became an essential part of her healing process. 

"When I do art, I get to put whatever I'm feeling into what I'm making," Marleigh said. "It's how I handle sadness."

Transforming Grief into Action

Driven to honor Rodney’s memory and give back to the organization that stood by them, Angela and Marleigh immersed themselves in the work of the Alliance — raising awareness about colorectal cancer and becoming passionate advocates for earlier screening and prevention.

"CRC is so common, yet people remain blindsided by this disease," Angela said. "If Rodney could have gotten a screening sooner, I might not be a widow today."

Their advocacy extends beyond raising awareness. This commitment led them to volunteer leadership roles with the Alliance, including as chair and emcee of the Blue Hope Bash Denver — an event in support of prevention, research, and patient support programs.

"Through events like this, we're making sure that no other family has to endure the pain we’ve experienced," Angela said. 

Life After Loss: Continuing Rodney’s Legacy

Today, Angela and Marleigh continue advocating for colorectal cancer awareness, driven by their personal journey. Through continued involvement with the Alliance, they find meaning and purpose in their loss, hopeful that their efforts can prevent future tragedies.

Marleigh, who now confidently takes center stage at Alliance events, believes strongly in the power of community. 

"It's nice to have people in your corner," she says. "It means a lot to know you're not alone."