MARCY BROWN

Marcy Brown got a quick lesson in genetics after colorectal cancer entered her life.

By the time she started high school, Marcy was already a two-time cancer survivor. She had been diagnosed with liver cancer at four, and at 13 was diagnosed with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), a genetic disorder that causes hundreds or thousands of polyps in the colon. Marcy’s polyps had already become cancerous and, like most people with FAP, she had her colon removed to prevent more cancer from developing. She and her dad, who also has FAP, had surgery just weeks apart.

Marcy has always been comfortable with who she is, and now that includes getting comfortable in her own genes.