October 24, 2015, was the 10th anniversary of the death of my mom. She was 48 when she died and was a smoker most of her life until she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer in July 2005. She only survived 3 1/2 months of treatment which included chemo, radiation, brain surgery, etc. Typically, the first question I get when I tell anyone that my mom died of lung cancer is, "Was she a smoker?" This is a tough question to field as a child of someone that is gone. For us the pain feels the same, regardless of whether or not the deceased was a smoker. This is one of the reasons I share my story and feel passionate about educating the community on how important it is to remain healthy and smoke free. Many people don't know that lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer in woman and it killed my mom in a silent way for many years. Hopefully in the future, with the help of the American Lung Association and Lung Force, women will begin to beat it!
