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Honoring a husband, father & fighter

Posted at 6:47 PM, Oct 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-17 18:47:36-04

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A local man is using his battle with cancer as an opportunity to educate and help others, and he's being recognized for it.

Kevin Hays of East Aurora has been battling colorectal cancer for the past five and a half years. Kevin has been a regular at Roswell Park, but has turned his battle into a mission to help others.

Thursday, he was awarded the Herd of Hope Hero Award from Roswell, and was surprised as he walked into the lobby and was greeted by those who have been there with him along the way.

"I never would have thought cancer would have led me here," he said.

His aunt, who nominated him for the award said, "Kevin is an inspiration to everyone he meets. It's hard to quantify the impact he's had on this community."

Hays started a non-profit called Buffalo Colon Core, to educate everyone especially young people on the importance of early detection.

"Early age onset cancer has been increasing substantially in the colorectal cancer world," he said.

His biggest message---don't be shy, have conversations about it and talk about the getting screened.

"Colorectal cancer screening can save lives," he said.