I joined the Fight for Air Climb in 2018. I work for Anthem and they are the presenting sponsor for the Milwaukee event. I climbed in honor of my mom. She had learned of a scan that should be done, especially for former smokers (which she was). Through early detection, they caught cancer in her lungs.
Around the time of the climb, my mom had surgery to remove a lobe in one of her lungs. She was scanned and cancer free! She was diligent in having scans done every three to five months, and in 2019, a different type of cancer was found in the same lung. She went through treatment by having chemo/Keytruda infusions and her scan came back clean after the last one!
She is currently on Keytruda and continues to have scans and is a two-time lung cancer survivor. My mom was pro-active in having the scan done and was fortunate because the cancer was detected early both times. When she was diagnosed both times, she was scared but remained positive and hopeful.
She turned to the American Lung Association for information and encourages involvement in the ALA because it promotes education and knowledge. She believes that a lack of knowledge when first getting diagnosed can cause fear and uncertainty, so becoming informed is important. I recently completed my third Fight for Air Climb and am honored to be an alum.
