On December 18, 2019 I was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer EGFR Exon 19 deletion with mets to my spine and pelvis. This came as a complete shock because in all my 43 years I had never smoked and was not exposed to secondary smoke. I am married to my husband, Todd, and we have three children, Tristan (15), Anna-Grace (14), and Stockton (10). I started Tagrisso (TKI) within weeks of being diagnosed and have also had eight sessions of radiation to the primary mass in my lung.
My life, along with the life of my family, has been completely turned upside down. A cancer diagnosis is not just a diagnosis for the patient, but also their entire family. When I was first diagnosed my first mission was to find others who were living with my same diagnosis. Quickly I "met" several young people that were on the same journey I was on. This was a true blessing. After learning how many nonsmokers lung cancer affects I knew I needed to do my part to bring awareness to this awful disease. I feel honored to help the American Lung Association bring awareness to lung cancer as well as other lung diseases. Without air we cannot live. We should never take a single breath for granted.
