The Lungevity Foundation was the first lung cancer foundation. It was founded in Chicago by six women who were all lung cancer patients, only one of whom survives. Lungevity was founded to fund research for lung cancer. Their dedication has resulted in over 7 million dollars of research funding. I learned about Lungevity not long after my diagnosis. A neighbor mentioned the foundation and their November Fall Benefit. I have attended the benefit for two years and last year, was asked to give the Survivor's Speech at the benefit. I have also served on the Benefit Committee soliciting raffle and silent auction prizes.

This outstanding organization was founded by lung cancer physicians/researchers to raise disease awareness in society and to raise much needed funds for lung cancer research. The organization has partnered with other lung cancer foundations in an effort to maximize each groups effectiveness. The Partnership sponsored a Lung Cancer Summit in 2008 to train grassroots advocates to raise disease awareness and the need for additional research dollars, as well as to generate fundraising activities in their communities. My involvement with the Partnership began with my attendance as a survivor advocate in training at the 2008 Summit. I returned for the 2009 Summit as a group leader. The program in both years was outstanding and included researchers' presentations, media consultant and public relations presentations, speakers from other cancer foundations, and speakers from the National Cancer Institute. The 2009 Summit also included presentations from 2008 participants' awareness and fundraising activities. Advocates left the Summit armed with ideas and a notebook filled with the power point slide presentations, facts and statistics, materials on legislative advocacy and engaging the media as well as an action plan designed by, and for, each advocate participant. Advocate/participants included early and advanced stage disease survivors, family members, friends and health professionals. The Partnership also formed a google group to provide a venue to facilitate participants' continued communication, provide new research information, news about legislative initiatives, media and awareness raising opportunities as well as to provide encouragement to fledgling advocates. In two years the Partnership has trained about 100 advocates. Each advocate has taken what they learned at the Summit and put it into practice through awareness raising activities and fundraising events in towns and cities across America. In addition, and as a direct result of the Summit, two new National Lung Cancer Partnership State Chapters were formed. Way to go NLCP and thank you for what you do for all of us!

The Beverly Fund was founded in love. Tracy Sestili started the fund in memory of her mother who died from lung cancer. The Fund's purpose is to raise awareness and funds to help make a difference in the fight against lung cancer. It's an uphill battle. Lung cancer is the classic underdog receiving just a fraction of research funding that other,less deadly, cancers receive. I am a never smoker who was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in September 2006. My diagnosis came after a metastasis forming in one of my vertebrae spontaneously burst. Prior to sustaining the fracture I had no symptoms. I never even had a cough. In fact, I still don't have a cough. Before my diagnosis I thought it was impossible for a person who never smoked, never lived with a smoker, and was never exposed to radon or other hazardous chemicals, to ever get lung cancer. I learned I was wrong the hard way. I'm not alone. Twenty percent of female lung cancer patients are never smokers. Another 50% are patients who quit smoking, sometimes decades before their diagnosis. So far I've managed to defy the odds. I am a person, not a statistic. However, the fact remains that ninety percent of the stage iv patients diagnosed at the time I was have already died. Five year mortality for stage iv patients is even more dismal at 99.5%. Lung cancer kills more people than breast, prostate and colon cancers COMBINED. In 1971 when Richard Nixon declared war on cancer I was 11 years old. I was diagnosed 35 years later at 46 years of age. In all that time mortality was only reduced 1 or 2 percent. It's time lung cancer received the attention and funding it so desperately needs. Thankfully, people like Tracy and organizations like The Beverly Fund are rising to the challenge. They turned their loss and their grief into something positive and found a way to help others. On behalf of lung cancer patients everywhere I thank you. I end this review with the hopeful reminder that love always wins.