Columbus woman who lost husband to colon cancer stresses importance of early detection

COLUMBUS — For as long as Amanda Wedan could remember, her husband Brad Wedan loved cars and racing.

At just 18 years old, he opened up his own street performance shop, Wedan Street and Performance — now a Columbus staple 20 years later.

“He was rebuilding the car. He wanted to go to some bigger races with it,” Amanda Wedan said.

But her husband's dream was cut short.

Last October, Brad Wedan was diagnosed with colon cancer after seeking emergency treatment for appendicitis.

“Brad had never been sick, more than just a cold or flu. Never been in the hospital or anything type of surgery. He was a pretty healthy guy, 6'3", 270 pounds,” Wedan said.

Amanda Wedan said she married her husband in November. A few months later, on Tuesday, he passed away in his office while in hospice care.

She said her husband's cancer was inherited. She said that he got one gene from his mother's side and one from his father's side. With that, he had a 90% chance of getting cancer.

Now, Amanda Wedan wants to remind people of the importance of getting a colonoscopy. She says it's critical to detect the illness early.

“You know your body better than anybody else — better than any doctor that you go to,” Wedan said.

At the same, she wants to keep her husband's dream and name alive.

“I’m going to do everything in my power to keep his dream going,” Amanda Wedan said. “I know what his goals were, I know how big he wanted to be and I’ll do everything in my power to make that happen."

March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month. A list of resources, including how and where to get a screening, information on cancer patient care and treatment and other tolls, are available on the Colorectal Cancer Alliance's website.