The collateral beauty of cancer

A beautiful woman I was lucky enough to call a friend recently lost her battle with cancer. Kirk Nurmi and I had planned to do a show with her a while back but I got word from her husband that she would have to postpone due to her being in the hospital. She had since recovered and we were planning on doing the show once again, but the cancer had returned. The last time I spoke to her was just a few weeks ago. Then I got the word that she was gone. Jennifer Ruddle was a true warrior. She was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer in 2017 with 11% chance of survival. But she fought and beat it. She then opened herself up and shared her story on the pageant circuit, earning herself the title of Mrs. Arizona in 2020. Back in June of 2019, I had the chance to sit down and have a conversation one on one with Jennifer. Her message is so important that I want to share it with you all. She fought hard and in the public eye, never backing away from talking so openly about her journey through colorectal cancer . So to honor her warrior strength, here is that conversation. Thank you for being such a bright light and beautiful soul Jennifer. We all weep at your loss but will never forget what you brought to our lives.