Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Perry.
Hi Anne, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
TestForToby started after we lost my husband, Toby, to colorectal cancer in 2019. He was only 51 years old. He had been diagnosed at 49, and our family learned very quickly just how important early detection and knowing the symptoms can be.
After he passed away, my children and I wanted to do something positive with what our family had been through. We started TestForToby to raise awareness about colorectal cancer and encourage people to get screened, recognize the symptoms and, most importantly, not put off getting checked.
What began as something very personal has grown into so much more than I ever expected. Our little lobster sticker with the blue colorectal cancer ribbon has travelled all over the world, carried by friends, family and even people we’ve never met. Every sticker is another opportunity for someone to see the message and hopefully think, Maybe I should get tested.
We also organize the Push For Your Tush event in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, in support of Colon Cancer Canada. Our community has been incredible. Over the years, the event has raised more than $100,000, and seeing hundreds of people come together for this cause is something I never take for granted.
Today, TestForToby is about turning our family’s loss into awareness that might help another family. If sharing Toby’s story encourages even one person to pay attention to a symptom, talk to their doctor or get screened earlier, then we’re doing what we set out to do.
That has always been the heart of TestForToby: doing this so other families don’t have to go through what ours did.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. TestForToby came from the hardest time in our family’s life.
One of the biggest challenges has been finding the balance between grief and purpose. There are times when sharing our story is hard, but I also know how important it is. Colorectal cancer isn’t always something people are comfortable talking about. Symptoms can be embarrassing to discuss, and people often think they’re too young or too healthy for it to happen to them. We know firsthand that isn’t always the case.
Another challenge has simply been figuring things out as we go. I didn’t start TestForToby because I knew how to build an awareness campaign or organize fundraising events. I started because I knew our experience could possibly help someone else. From there, our family and our community just kept building on it.
The support we’ve received has made the difficult parts worthwhile. Every time someone tells me they got screened because of something we shared, talked to their doctor, recognized a symptom, or passed our message along to someone they love, it reminds me why we keep doing it.
There are still emotional days, and I think there always will be. But something that began during the worst chapter of our lives has become a way of creating something good from it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
TestForToby is a colorectal cancer awareness initiative created by my children and me in memory of my husband, Toby, who was diagnosed at 49 and passed away at 51.
Our focus is simple: getting people to talk about colorectal cancer, recognize the symptoms and understand the importance of screening and early detection. We try to make a difficult subject approachable and shareable, whether that’s through social media, community events, fundraising or our TestForToby stickers.
The stickers have become a really special part of what we do. They feature a lobster intertwined with the blue colorectal cancer ribbon — a nod to Toby, who was a fisherman. People take them on their travels and place them in locations around the world, then send us photos. What started here in a small community in Nova Scotia has travelled farther than I ever imagined. We’ve even started a “Chasing 30” project with the goal of getting a TestForToby sticker to all 30 Major League Baseball ballparks.
I’m especially proud of what our community has accomplished through Push For Your Tush Shelburne in support of Colon Cancer Canada. Over the years, we’ve raised more than $100,000, but for me, the impact isn’t measured only in dollars.
The messages that mean the most are the ones from people who tell me they booked a screening, spoke to their doctor or got checked because of something they saw through TestForToby.
I think what sets TestForToby apart is that it’s very personal. We’re not a large organization. We’re a family and a community trying to make sure something good comes from something that changed our lives forever. Our hope is that sharing our story might change the outcome of someone else’s.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
If there is one thing I would want readers to take away from our story, it’s this: please don’t assume colorectal cancer can’t happen to you because you’re young, healthy or have no family history.
Pay attention to your body. Know the symptoms. Don’t ignore changes or put off talking to your doctor because something feels embarrassing. And when you’re eligible for screening, please do it.
Toby was 49 when he was diagnosed. We can’t change what happened to our family, but we can keep talking about it in the hope that someone else’s story has a different ending.
That’s why we keep sharing the stickers, organizing events, raising awareness and talking about a cancer people sometimes don’t want to talk about.
Get screened. Know the signs. Advocate for yourself. It could save your life.
And if you ever see a little lobster with a blue ribbon somewhere in the world, now you’ll know the story behind it. 🦞💙
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @testfortoby
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17RMU2vipn/
