Residents join in on walk in support of those with colon cancer

JACKSON, Tenn. — Seven year cancer survivor, Deneene Barbour, invited residents to North Park to walk for colon cancer.

Barbour hopes that this will help others get the word out through the Barbour Colon Cancer Foundation.

“I always said God left me here for a reason, and it is very important to get the word out because colon cancer is known as the silent killer,” Barbour said.

She believes everyone should get medical exams.

“I had no symptoms and sometimes they want you to wait until you’re 45 now, but it used to be 50,” Barbour said. “By then, you’re already in a late stage and it’s too late for you sometimes now. Some of it is very aggressive.”

She even shared some of her past personal experience.

“To look at me, you wouldn’t think that I was going through that, because I was at my job, all the time, working. And if anybody knows me, I’m just a busy body anyway. That’s just how I am, but you couldn’t have told me that that’s what I was going through,” Barbour said.

Barbour spoke on some of the people that participated in this walk.

“A lot of the people have been with me from day one. It’s a lot of my families and good friends. Then I just recently met this young lady here. I have a breast cancer survivor walking here. I have family that are breast cancer survivors too, so it’s really about all of us surviving.”

But what does survival mean to Barbour?

“To live life and enjoy life. Try to be the best person that I can be,” she said. “That’s why I want to push this legislation so we can get it in with a wellness check. We need to have a colon screening in with a wellness check because it can save lives, many lives.”

After the walk, hot dogs and drinks were served. Following was a balloon release to remember those that passed from colon cancer.

For more news in the Jackson area, click here.