Evo Magz v4.7

Imagine being at home one night in your living room singing along to music with your husband while making dinner and then, just like that, the phone rings and your entire life changes without warning.

This was an unfortunate reality for Shannon Sylvain, who received a call from her doctor one evening with bad news that marked the beginning of her continued battle with colorectal cancer, which is better known as colon cancer.

“My doctor asked if I was sitting down," recalled Sylvain. "After telling her yes, I remember her voice cracking when she explained that they saw evidence of colon cancer during the procedure."

The news was tough to swallow.
“I was in disbelief … all I could think was how badly I wanted to stay in this moment with my husband, in our home, singing Stevie Wonder songs and laughing,” she continued.

Sylvian, was diagnosed last year at the age of 31. After the doctor confirmed she didn't have internal hemorrhoids and there was blood in her stool over time, Sylvain had a colonoscopy done.

"[It] is something that everyone should get at least once … colon cancer is considered the silent killer because there aren’t really huge symptoms,” Sylvain continued.

The colonoscopy cost her $3,000 out of pocket. The testing wasn't covered by her insurance because she did not meet the age requirement, which for most companies is 50. In addition, she hadn't yet met her in-network insurance deductible.

Sylvain recalls her doctor telling her that colon cancer can be preventable but disproportionately affects Blacks for two reasons: "Access to financial resources and good doctors."

"That information was very startling to me since colon cancer is preventable and you don't have to die from it even if diagnosed," she shared.