Mayor Domenic J. Sarno was able to catch up with 22 News Anchor Ciara Speller today at City Hall while she picked up the Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness Month Proclamation. Speller, and the foundation her and her mom founded the Jeffrey Speller Foundation ‘4 Change’, have spent the month of February raising awareness for this difficult to detect cancer.
February 2026 was declared as Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness Month in the City of Springfield, and many buildings in the city lit up green to bring awareness to the cause.
Cholangiocarcinoma, pronounced koh-LAN-jee-oh-KAR-sih-NOH-muh, is a type of cancer that forms in the slender tubes that carry the digestive fluid, bile. This disease took the life of Ms. Ciara Speller’s father, Jeffrey Speller at just 63 years of age. You never know who in our community may be impacted by this devastating disease, with it being the 2nd most common form of liver cancer, affecting 10,000 Americans annually. It is considered a rare and highly lethal form of cancer and its mortality rate has increased dramatically in the last decade. Bile duct cancer is difficult to detect. Often, bile duct cancers are found only after the cancer has grown enough to cause signs or symptoms. The most common symptom is jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and eyes) which is caused by a blocked bile duct.
Mayor Sarno states, “Ciara and her mom founded this charitable organization in Jeffrey’s memory to share his legacy of empowerment and positivity with our community, especially our youth. The city is proud to support and thank Ms. Ciara Speller in her efforts to keep her father’s vision of providing support and resources for youth in our middle schools to participate in golf programs alive. We are also proud to join in bringing awareness to bile duct cancer, Cholangiocarcinoma. As Cholangiocarcinoma becomes more prevalent, it is more important than ever to educate ourselves, our families, and our community on this type of cancer. I encourage everyone to please take care of yourself and keep up with recommend doctor’s visits and screenings. Check on your friends, family, and neighbors – and also listen when your body tells you something.”
Learn more about the Jeffrey Speller Foundation ‘4 Change’ https://www.jsf4change.org/
