Mom was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2001 when she was just 53, healthy and fit, vibrant and energetic, and still looking forward to an adventurous future. She had never smoked or lived with smokers, so when her biopsy result was positive for an adenocarcinoma of the lung, everyone – including her primary care physician – was shocked.

Suddenly, my family and I became aware of many hidden truths about lung cancer that unfortunately today, more than 20 years later, most people remain ignorant of. Yes, smoking is often a contributing cause of lung cancer, but smoking alone is not the ONLY cause of lung cancer. If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer, whether you currently smoke, used to, or never smoked. Another fact is that lung cancer does not discriminate based on gender, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, place of residence, or nationality,  and neither should we. Every lung cancer patient deserves our genuine caring and compassion, access to excellent health care, and hope for a cure. 

So please join me in raising funds to support Lung Cancer Connection and the life-saving advocacy they do. Although LCC did not exist during my mother’s lifetime, I am sure that if it had, it would have eased her cancer journey the same way it does for thousands of St. Louisans every day. 

Thank you for caring!  And thank you for your support! 

Rita