About

Glory Gensch’s Story and the stories of her three cousins exemplify the utmost importance of the need to be aware of early detection practices and precautions related to cancer.

Glory was a twenty-two year old senior at the University of Arizona, who just several months before her diagnosis of cancer, was experiencing stomach pains, constipation, and odd abdomen cramping. Her family physician passed off her situation as stress related symptoms caused by typical college life as a senior: lack of sleep, finals week, fast food, stress of graduation and resume building, etc. In her heart, Glory felt as if there was something more serious to her symptoms, however because her physician did not inquire as to family related cancer, especially cancer found in the family tree at young ages such was the case of Glory’s cousins, there was never any precautionary procedures or concerns on the part of her doctor, especially when it came to the specific details contained within some of the minor tests that were conducted. Glory’s cancer doctors believed that if her ongoing symptoms for over a 10-month period could have been screened early for cancer detection, that Glory’s chances of survival and possible cure would have been greatly improved.

Glory’s story is similar to thousands of young people throughout the country under the age of thirty-five who also have been diagnosed with colon cancer and battle the devastating disease every day. There is a definite link between cancer found in young people and genetics. Making family physicians more aware of cancer found in young patients’ family trees and deploying precautionary tests and procedures that help detect and discover cancer in the early stages is the key to saving lives and preventing the tragically difficult battles and endings that Glory’s family and the family of her cousin Michael have had to endure along with so many thousands of other young people around the world.

Pictured here is the Gensch family following the July 14, 2007 memorial Run for Glory in Wichita, Kansas:

In Glory's words-

If just one life is saved, the sacrifices we all make will be worth it.

-Glorianna Gensch (June 2007)