Growing up with asthma, my lung health has always been top of mind. I started working with the American Lung Association and I get to show up to work every day to help improve the lives of people living with lung disease, like me. Research is a core part of our mission, and in January 2023, I enrolled in the Lung Health Cohort Study to play a small part in deepening our understanding of lung health and lung disease. Ultimately, enrolling in that study saved my life. I was diagnosed with lung cancer at 35, with no risk factors.
On March 30, 2023, I had surgery to remove the right upper lobe of my lung, as well as 27 regional lymph nodes. As unlucky as my diagnosis has left me feeling at times, I truly know how incredibly lucky I am to have caught this cancer early. While I had no risk factors, there are people who do and are not aware that they should be screening for lung cancer. It’s imperative that in addition to life-saving research, we are educating the public about how to identify when you need to put that research into practice. I owe my life to the American Lung Association’s research work. My passion for this mission is renewed and refreshed, and I will work every day to ensure more people can be as lucky as I’ve been, finding their lung cancer before it’s too late.
