Breathe in, breathe out, Now imagine that your next breath may never come. This is the struggle faced by so many people. My struggle started when I had my first asthmatic episode at thirteen months old. To this day, my mother tells the story with the fear as if it happened yesterday. My father suffered for years with COPD. He ultimately died three weeks after being diagnosed with lung cancer. He was the third member of my family that had died of Lung Cancer.
Being a life-long asthmatic and the daughter of a wonderful man who lost his brave battle with lung cancer, I know all too well the challenges that lung disease presents to patients and their families. There are no cures, few treatments, limited funding, research, and cessation programs for preventative care. As a member of the Advocacy Team, the Women's Committee for LUNG FORCE, and the Regional Leadership Council for the American Lung Association, I strive to change the statistics of Lung Cancer, Lung Disease, and Asthma for every man, woman, and child.
As Mrs. Ohio International 2016, I will continue to:
- Fight for air quality standards nationwide
- Educate people on the risk of lung cancer to non-smokers
- Increase the availability of cessation programs
- Advocate for funding of research and development to cure all lung disease
Fighting for Air is so much more than a phrase in my house. I will bring my story, my fight, to help everyone who is fighting for that next breath.
