March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Rates among young people are climbing, with one in five diagnoses occurring in people younger than age 55.
At just 30 years old and with a newborn baby in her arms, in 2024 Sage Collins faced a diagnosis that felt like a bullet: stage 4 colorectal cancer. In shock, she remembers saying, “I don’t want to die. I can’t die. I am a mom.”
Today, after completing chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, she remains optimistic—thanks to the support of her care team, led by oncologist Maura (“Molly”) Barry, M.D., associate professor of medicine at the Larner College of Medicine.