DMF FUNDS SOUL SOLUTIONS RECOVERY CENTER LIVE LIKE RACH

The Live Like Rach fund continues to spread significant awareness locally of young onset colorectal cancer in honor of Rachel Ellingson, who lost her battle to the disease at the age of 36. Through the month of March, which is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, the initiative leads an awareness campaign focused on educating young people about the signs of colon cancer and the importance of advocating for yourself if you suspect you are at risk.

This year’s campaign focused primarily on the role that genetics and family history play in colon cancer. While the reasons are still unclear as to why the number of colorectal cancer diagnoses continues to rise, nearly one-third of colorectal cancer patients have a family history of the disease. Being aware of family history is a place to start, and it provides a leg to stand on when advocating for yourself.

Soul Solutions Recovery Center reached an important milestone this year, celebrating one year of operation. This unique recovery model, which places emphasis on community involvement in tandem with recovery, aims to eliminate the revolving door of substance abuse treatment.

After five years of sobriety, the likelihood of a person returning to substance use falls below 15 percent. That’s why the recovery center commits to five years with patients, helping them find their own unique treatment path that will serve them long-term.

This year, the Live Like Rach team had the opportunity to interview Dr. Andrea Cercek, an internationally renowned cancer specialist with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, who treated Rachel. Interviewing a provider at a treatment center of this caliber marked a new level of awareness for Live Like Rach. The team plans to build off this momentum in continuing Rachel’s Remarkable Ride.

In addition to reaching one year of service, Soul Solutions also celebrated the opening of Hope & Coffee. Based on the idea that addiction affects everyone and is therefore a community-wide effort, this coffee shop is intended to be a convergent point for those in recovery and for the general public.