Christina Sterling's husband Scott was a U.S. Army Ranger and a member of Delta Force, strong and healthy as could be, she said. But 16 years after he retired from the military, he was found to have stage 4 colon cancer, which he died from a few years later. Now Christina's mission is to get people—and especially veterans—screened for colon cancer. She says that solders are trained to put others' needs before their own.

"They don't speak up when they feel something," said Sterling. "They're trained not to do that. Not to complain, not to be concerned and worried. And so—that's okay. That makes them amazing soldiers; the best in the world. But when it comes to their health, it does not make them the best at it."

Through her organization, the Sterling Promise Foundation, Christina aims to help veterans live long and healthy lives after serving their country. In particular, the foundation provides financial support for blood screenings for colorectal cancer.

If caught early, colon cancer is one of the most curable. But it's the second most common cause of cancer death in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. A blood test that has been available for two years can screen for colon cancer, with an 83% accuracy rate.

"I tell anyone who will listen—it's just a blood test. You go to your doctor, you get screened all the time for diabetes, high blood pressure, breast cancer, you name it. Add this to the list," Sterling said.

A colonoscopy is the gold standard and more accurate than the blood test. But until people become more comfortable with that screening tool, this test may close the gap and alert a patient to the possibility of colon cancer.

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