Hawai‘i Lung Cancer Advocate In Washington, D.C. to Ask Congress for Increased Research Funding

Hawai‘i resident and lung cancer advocate, Valerie Davison is in Washington, D.C. to meet with her members of Congress during the American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day on March 29. As a part of the nationwide event, she will join more than 40 other people across the country who have been impacted by lung cancer to ask lawmakers to support $51 billion in research funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), $11.6 billion in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and to support and protect Medicaid.

Davison is a LUNG FORCE Hero – someone whose life has been directly touched by lung cancer. Her lung cancer journey began when she lost her sister and her best friend Eleanor to lung cancer at only 57.

“My sister was not a smoker, so she wasn’t at high risk for lung cancer. He doctor only gave her 2 months to live, but courageously she lived to the fullest for next 3 years. Now I’m in Washington, DC because of my personal commitment. I too want to make an impact in my community and to honor her, I’m a proud and active volunteer of the American Lung Association of Hawai‘i,” said Davison.

During Advocacy Day, Davison will speak with members of the Hawai‘i Congressional delegation, or their staff, to share her personal experiences with lung cancer and explain why investments in public health, research funding and quality and affordable healthcare are important to her and so many like her.

The American Lung Association launched LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day in 2016 to ask members of Congress to support robust, sustainable and predictable federal funding increases for lung cancer research, prevention and quality and affordable healthcare. As a part of Advocacy Day, LUNG FORCE Heroes have succeeded in helping increase NIH lung cancer research funding by over 115%. Since 2016, more than 50 new therapies have been approved by the FDA to treat lung cancer—giving more hope to those impacted by this disease. In 2022, Heroes successfully urged Congress to extend funding for tax credits so more than three million Americans were able to keep affordable healthcare coverage through the federal and state marketplaces.

Davison encourages others in Hawai‘i to advocate for lung cancer research and healthcare protections by contacting their members of Congress, which they can do at Lung.org/AdvocacyDay. Learn more about Valerie’s story and the LUNG FORCE initiative at LUNGFORCE.org.