Every year, more women die from lung cancer than from breast cancer according to the American Cancer Society. Early detection is the key to survival, as my friend Cindy Johnston can attest to. I met Cindy in 1998 when she was my sons’ choir director in elementary school. She was also my handbell choir director in church and became a personal friend. Knowing my late husband’s journey with lung cancer, Cindy contacted me when her doctors suspected she may have lung cancer. Her story gives me goosebumps. She had no symptoms. Here is her amazing story of a series of events that allowed early detection and treatment—and survival:
Don Gallagher – Lung Cancer Survivor
I met Don Gallagher through my website. He contacted me after he and his wife had read Chris’ book “Cancer on Two Wheels” and my book “His Love Carries Me.” He wanted to thank me for publishing the books that helped them navigate through his lung cancer journey. An engineer, cyclist, and never-smoker like Chris, he could relate with Chris’ story, and his wife learned to be a diligent advocate from my experiences.
The Art of Taking a Pitch
His Hero
In my book His Love Carries Me, I refer to my husband, Chris, as “Shane’s hero.” The following is an excerpt from a blog written by our younger son in October 2016 (shared with his permission) and explains why his dad was his hero:
Years ago, my mom reached out to friends and family for us to write letters of appreciation to my dad for the impact he had in our lives. I had this memory, clear as day, that I decided to write about.