->Survivor stories

At LUNGevity, we say that our people are our most valuable asset, and our dedicated volunteers exemplify this. Hundreds of volunteers from across the country support LUNGevity and the community we serve. Volunteers use their unique talents and perspectives to provide peer support, raise awareness for lung cancer, plan events and fundraisers, and advocate. We thank our volunteers for believing in our mission and working alongside us to help people live better with lung cancer and drive progress for the community.

My lung cancer came suddenly and severely back in March of 2015.  It started with a sudden onset of what I thought was vertigo on a Wednesday. By Friday morning, it had changed dramatically, and I knew it was time to see a doctor.

I was only 30 years old when I was diagnosed with lung cancer. Before I was diagnosed, I spent 5 days in the hospital to have tests done. Even though they told me it could be cancer, I never thought that would even be a possibility. I was only 30 years old – how could I have cancer?

After battling a persistent cough for six months, I went in for a chest x-ray. This was July 2020, right in the thick of the pandemic, which is why I put off going in for so long. After nothing we tried seemed to help the cough, though, I knew it was time to figure out what was going on inside my lungs.

Read Fran's story in English. 

Me diagnosticaron cáncer de pulmón en estadio IV en 2012 cuando solo tenía 39 años.  En ese momento, no había pruebas disponibles para determinar qué tipo de cáncer de pulmón tenía.  Todo lo que sabía era que "era cáncer de pulmón, nada más".

Lea la historia de Fran en español.

I was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in 2012 when I was only 39 years old. At the time, there were no tests available to determine what type of lung cancer I had. All I knew was that "it was lung cancer, nothing more."

There are two mantras I repeat to myself and others: “Don’t count the days, make the days count,” coined by Mohammad Ali, and “Cancer didn’t bring me to my knees; it brought me to my feet,” said by Michael Douglas. Another mantra I like is one of my own creation: “My mind and soul can heal my body.”

What I like about these quotes is their positivity. I’ve always believed a positive attitude could help fight my lung cancer.

I was diagnosed with lung cancer in July 2020. I was stage IV non-small cell adenocarcinoma with metastases in my lymph nodes.

My diagnosis was devastating. I was experiencing such severe physical symptoms, such as intense coughing to the point of coughing up blood, that I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to lead a normal life again. It felt like everything was coming to an end and I would never be able to achieve my dreams.

It all started innocently enough with a swollen lymph node above my collar bone. As a family nurse practitioner, I knew this was a bit unusual. When it persisted for a week or so, I thought it time to have it checked out.

A last minute decision by the provider I saw to do a chest x-ray most likely was the first, but certainly not the last time in this journey that my life was saved. That lymph node turned out to be stage IV non-small cell lung cancer.

I used to think support groups were for weak people. Then, I found LUNGevity and Lung Cancer Support Community – boy, did that change my mind.

I discovered LUNGevity’s message board, Lung Cancer Support Community (LCSC), right after they found a rapidly growing nodule in my right lung. At the time, I had just retired early to be a full-time caregiver for my wife, who was in advanced stages of dementia, and I already felt mentally strained.