After spending 39 days on the island of Fiji competing in, and winning, Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X in 2016, I returned home to be with my mother, Susie, who had been battling stage 4 lung cancer. Just one hour after I returned home, my mom lost her battle to the disease.
My mother was an inspirational woman, filled with strength, love and compassion. She bravely faced the disease for nine months, but more importantly, thrived for 60 years. This experience taught me that it doesn't matter how healthy your lifestyle is—if you have lungs you can get lung cancer. Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer of women and yet only 2 percent of women have lung cancer on their health radar so it's imperative that we make it a priority. Early detection and more effective treatment options will save lives which is why I've committed myself to raising awareness of lung cancer as well as critical funding for research in the fight against this disease.
In honor of my mom's legacy, I have become a strong advocate for lung cancer research and funding. I have raised over $400,000 for research including a personal donation of $100,000 from my Survivor winnings, and have joined the American Lung Association's LUNG FORCE to inspire others to #LiveLikeSusie and raise awareness of the #1 cancer killer.
Follow me on Twitter @AdamScottKlein and Instagram at @survivoradam
