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Giving Tuesday

At 25 years old, Kayla Bradford thought her life was just beginning.  As she and her fiancé Jordan were celebrating her milestone birthday, the happy couple were elated to learn that Kayla was expecting their first child.
 
However, the new mom-to-be soon developed some health issues, including a cough that started when she was three months along and never went away.  A chest x-ray was taken but nothing was found, so the symptoms were attributed to her pregnancy.  The baby was fine, and little Leighton was born in November 2016.
 
In January, Kayla took Leighton for his two-month checkup.  During the appointment, the doctor noticed that her cough was still there.  She also now had a huge lump on her forehead that was causing concern.  A new set of chest x-rays and a CT scan were ordered immediately.
 
The results arrived quickly – along with the terrible news that would change Kayla’s world forever: she had stage 4 lung cancer, and it had spread to her brain, bones and liver. 
 
Kayla is among the 28,000 Canadians who will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year.  Many thousands more are already battling this life-threatening disease. 
 
On this Giving Tuesday you can give lung cancer patients like Kayla and their caregivers help and hope when you support Lung Cancer Canada today with a donation of $35, $50, $100, $250 or more.
 
Established in 2002, Lung Cancer Canada is our country’s leading resource for lung cancer education, patient support, research and advocacy.  We’re the only organization nationwide that’s focused exclusively on lung cancer.
 
When Kayla read about our work in another lung cancer patient’s blog, she wanted to know more and got in touch.  Her sudden diagnosis and subsequent fast-tracked hospitalization and treatment had been overwhelming – especially for a young new mother – and the statistics she discovered about the disease were frightening.
 
Lung is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada – and it’s the deadliest.  Each year, 20,000 Canadians die from lung cancer – that’s more than breast, colorectal and prostate cancers combined.  The five-year survival rate for people with lung cancer is low at 17%.
 
In addition, incidents of lung cancer in younger adults and in women are on the rise, and 15% of people diagnosed with lung cancer are non-smokers.
 
Despite this information, lung cancer research is woefully underfunded.  Surprisingly, although over 25% of cancer deaths come from lung cancer,  only 6% of Canadian research dollars directed at specific cancers goes towards this disease.
 
Lung Cancer Canada is committed to changing this.  Will you join us?  Contributions from caring individuals like you allow us to invest in more research that will improve the quality of life for people who have lung cancer, as well as help them live longer.
 
Your gift now will benefit lung cancer patients in other ways too, including:
  • Facilitating more screening programs and faster diagnoses;
  • Advocating for more timely access to available treatments;
  • Getting access to new medications and onto provincial drug formularies 
  • Raising awareness and educating the public about lung cancer; and
  • Breaking down barriers and eliminating the stigma around the disease.
 
“These activities give me real hope,” Kayla says. “The second I found out I had lung cancer, I went into fight mode.  I was shocked and cried when I got my test results, but I resolved to fight this as hard as I can.  My son and fiancé need me.  Research has given me a chance.
 
“Jordan and I have also found Lung Cancer Canada’s peer support program invaluable,” Kayla adds.  “It’s been so wonderful to have someone to talk to who understands what we’re going through, and who can provide information and advice we can trust.”
 
Kayla never thought she’d have lung cancer – a young, active female who never smoked.  But the fact is anyone who has lungs can get lung cancer – and that means we’re all at risk  of potentially developing this disease.

Hope unites us in the search for a cure. Please give as generously as you can to Lung Cancer Canada today, and help us stop Canada’s #1 cancer killer.  Thank you.
 
Sincerely,
Dr. Paul Wheatley-Price
Medical Oncologist
President, Lung Cancer Canada

P.S. Every day, an average of 78 Canadians will be told, “you have lung cancer”.  We can help.  Please click on the button below to donate  Thank you once again!