Raise Awareness for Lung Cancer with Free to Breathe Chelmsford

Did you know that lung cancer claims more lives each year than breast, prostate and colon cancers COMBINED? I had no idea about this scary statistic until a little over a year ago, when my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer in January of 2011. What starting out as a nagging cough that just wouldn’t go away soon turned my whole family’s lives upside down. The news of her diagnosis was absolutely devastating. Like many others, we thought that this was something that would never happen to our family and we had no idea just how common the disease actually is. I knew immediately that I had to do something to change these statistics.

I began researching lung cancer events in the area and was so disappointed that there were barely any fundraising events for lung cancer! How is it possible that this disease that takes so many lives and that has such little funding can have so few events?

Finally, I came across a Patch article about the Inaugural Free to Breathe Chelmsford event that I had missed by just a few months and I immediately contacted the event chair, Suzanne Dahlberg, to see if she would be organizing another event and to see if I could do anything to help. Sending that email on a whim was the best decision I ever made. I have met an amazing group of people through the National Lung Cancer Partnership consisting of their staff, other Free to Breathe organizers from around the country, and some very inspiring lung cancer survivors.

Last year you may have read Suzanne’s blog posts describing the trials and tribulations of organizing the Second Annual Free to Breathe Chelmsford event. Well, you know what comes after the second annual…the THIRD Annual Free to Breathe Chelmsford, and this year I am the event chair. I’ll be blogging about all the sponsor-calling, volunteer-organizing and hair-ripping-out planning right up until the event on September 30, 2012. 

I am lucky enough to be able to say that my mom is still fighting her battle. Some days are better than others, but I am so happy and fortunate to still have her in my life. This year I will be organizing the Third Annual Free to Breathe Chelmsford 5K so that no one else has to go through this. So that the statistics can be changed so that we can transform what a lung cancer diagnosis means for people and their families.  

Registration for the 2012 Free to Breathe Chelmsford is officially open and I hope you will consider joining us in the fight against lung cancer by participating, volunteering or by making a donation. All proceeds of our event will benefit the National Lung Cancer Partnership’s research, awareness and education programs. Please click here for more information on how to join our event!