page 23 Have you ever seen someone smille while talking about colonoscopies? If the answer is no, you’ve probably never talked to ARH Regional Community Development Manager Kelly Elkins. On any given day, Elkins can be found out in the community talking to the public about the importance of regular healthcare and preventative screenings. She exudes passion on every subject, but it comes across just a little bit more when she speaks about the importance of colonoscopies. “We found out my father had cancer the day of my mom’s funeral,” Elkins said. Her father, then 72 and living “his best retired life,” hadn’t felt well and had recently undergone testing. He hadn’t, however, had regular colonoscopies. “It was Stage 4 when we found out,” Elkins said. “It had spread throughout his body.” Nine months after burying her mother, Elkins was by her father’s side as he took his final breath. “It was definitely tough,” she said. “I was his best buddy.” Until recently, the recommended screening age for colon cancer was 50, so in 2013, Elkins, at just 35, had some time to go. “But I always knew I would get one when it was time,” she said. That time came in January 2023 when Elkins reached the new recommended age of 45. “I was a little worried, but the doctor made me feel very, very comfortable,” she said of her experience at Beckley ARH Hospital. When the procedure, which she said lasted less than an hour, was over, she received good news. “It was a wonderful sigh of relief,” she said. “It was, ‘OK, now I get to continue doing what I do. Being a mom and being out in the community helping others.’” Before her test, Elkins shared her father’s story with those she educated. Now, she shares not only the story of her family’s loss, but of her own experience with a test proven to save lives. “I want people to know that there are healthy outcomes from screening,” she said. “Good can happen and if I can help someone else by sharing my stories and my experiences, I feel like that is my purpose.” SAVING LIVES THROUGH EDUCATION EMPLOYEE TESTIMONIAL
