Article in Chicago Tribune

[Treebywater]

I found this when Googling LUNGevity. I thought it was a top-notch awareness article in the Chicago Tribune.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... isureq-hed

[blaze100]

Hi Treebywater, That was about the best article I've read on this topic. Thank you for sharing.

Barb

[Kasey]

GREAT article, Val. I am so sad to hear there are only 3 of the 7 founding members left . It is frustrating not being heard .

Thanks,

Kasey

[cindi o'h]

bummer. I couldn't log-in for some reason to be able to read the article.

Cindi o'h

[gail p-m]

Really a well written article. Thanks for posting.

gail p-m

[Geri]

What a good article, says it all doesn't it.

Cindi, I've copied the article and I'll paste it on an email right now.

Geri

[Welthy]

Thank you so very much for finding this article. I don't get the Trib, so I missed this -- it was great and I've sent the following email to everyone I know with the article attached:

All,

This article is a very accurate depiction of society's view of lung cancer that I wanted to share with you. I give big kudos to the Trib for writing this story -- and even bigger kudos to the LUNGevity Foundation for organizing a group to rally more people to the cause of lung cancer funding, research, and awareness. Tony's diagnosis of Stage IIIb-IV puts him in the 1% five year survival category that the article mentions. What is not mentioned in the article is only 15% of ANY stage diagnosis survive five years. One of our dear friends, Karen, lost her life last month after only being able to fight a late stage diagnosis of lung cancer for eight months.

(Notice that the person highlighted is a young woman, with a child, who never smoked. Although she is one of the founders of Lungevity.org, this depicts how the public perception of lung cancer is trying to be changed or re-packaged, because no one seemingly cares about middle-aged to older men/women who gave up smoking years ago or still smoke. "They deserve it!" is the prevailing thought. As Lance Armstrong pointed out last year with regards to lung cancer "No one deserves to have cancer!" LUNGevity is trying to put a different "face" to lung cancer in order to attract attention to the cause. Whatever works is good!)

November is Lung Cancer Awareness month -- but you won't see our "clear" ribbons all over the place because, even though it is the largest cancer killer of EVERYONE, there is still a social stigma attached to this type of cancer. Also, as the article points out, there are few survivors to fight for the cause. Somehow the stigma has been overcome in AIDS research and funding, so family and friends need to push for the same for lung cancer. Write your Congressional representatives and express your concerns over under funding of lung cancer research in our country. I, as a caretaker, am limited to what I can do now. Sending this article is one of my very small contributions to the cause. Thanks --- and I'll get off my soapbox now!

Love,

Welthy - who wonders if Dominick's food stores in our area will be donating 5% to lung cancer research in November the way they are this month for breast cancer research...

Welthy