“I’m Brooks Bell. I’m 38 and I have Stage III colon cancer.” – LinkedIn Post
RALEIGH – Brooks Bell, founder and CEO of the Raleigh-based branding technology firm that is named after her, chose to go public Thursday with the news that she is stepping down as the firm’s CEO after being diagnosed with colon cancer.
Brooks Bell, founder and CEO of Brooks Bell.
The news about one of the Triangle’s best known entrepreneurs triggered headlines across the region.
But Bell didn’t stop there
In a compelling post, Bell wrote at length at LinkedIn about her diagnosis – and as a warning to others.
“Every year, for the last 10 years, I’ve chaperoned my husband, Jes [Lipson], to an outpatient clinic for his colonoscopies.
“We know that colorectal cancer is pretty common, but because he has a family history of the disease, he’s at particularly high risk.
“At some point, it occurred to me that maybe I should get a colonoscopy myself, just in case. But the thought quickly passed and I never followed through. I regret this now.”
She also is launching a drive to make people under 50 – the standard for when most colonoscopies are encouraged – aware of the danger disease and the need for early detection.
Diagnosed with cancer, Brooks Bell transitions to exec chair role at her firm, names interim CEO
