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Jay Brennan has been a longtime pastor and educator, serving communities in Piscataquis and Penobscot counties. He and his wife live in Dover-Foxcroft.
Parents aren’t meant to outlive their children. It goes against everything we believe to be natural. But in our imperfect world, we experience tragedy and diseases that don’t make sense and bring with them heartbreak that is absolute.
For my family and me, heartbreak came by the name of cancer, when my son was one of the 260 Mainers who lost their battle with colorectal cancer in 2025. David was 42 years old, married to his childhood sweetheart and father of two daughters who were the joy of his life.
As a man of faith, I believe there is comfort and hope to be found, even in the midst of profound heartbreak. I have spent much of my life helping people find this comfort in difficult moments and find hope when circumstances feel overwhelming. And as a parent who knows what it means to mourn a child, I feel a responsibility to share our story, to turn our pain into purpose, and to do whatever we can to make sure another family does not have to experience our heartbreak.
The thing with colorectal cancer is that, if you detect it early, it can be highly treatable. Five-year survival rates are as high as 91% with early detection. When left undetected, however, those rates drop quickly. In some cases, as low as 16%.
That is why I am asking Mainers to do something important. Something that can give you more time with the people you love and to make memories together: Get screened for colorectal cancer early. David’s stage 4 colorectal cancer was detected when he was 39 years old. I am now urging others to talk to their primary care physician about possibly being screened as early as 35 years of age. This is earlier than the current medical recommended age, but I am urging others to at least have the conversation with their doctor.
There are several ways to get screened for colorectal cancer, the gold standard being a colonoscopy. But I know, and you know, that colonoscopies can feel invasive. On top of that, there are many Mainers in our community for whom a day off work, a drive back and forth to the hospital, and about an hour under anesthesia makes the procedure inaccessible.
So, consider your other options. We have more tools than ever before to prevent colorectal cancer or find it earlier, when it is more treatable.
Options like blood tests, a primary screening option for colorectal cancer in adults 45 and older who are at average risk, are making screening quick and easy. If a colonoscopy is outside of what you’re willing or able to do, a blood test that can be done during a routine visit to your doctor may be a good option.
Colorectal cancer screening options are not one-size-fits-all, and the best screening test is the one a person actually completes. What matters most is taking that step and getting screened when recommended. If my family and David had known earlier the urgency of testing for and treating this disease, our story may be different.
We may not know what the future holds, but I believe we can face it with faith and by doing what is responsible and within our control. By educating ourselves on the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer and screening options available, we can be better prepared for what may come. And by getting screened, we can encourage the people we love to understand the importance of screening too.
Medical professionals are now urging screening for those who are 45 or older, but for David 45 was too late. I would personally urge you to at least have a conversation with a doctor about colorectal cancer screening as early as 35 years of age, particularly if you have any family history.
If you have been putting it off and thinking that a test can just wait for another day, ask what options are available to you and get screened today. That small decision could give you more time with the people you love.