Never in a million years did I think I would lose the love of my life to lung cancer. But I did. Just 363 days after she was diagnosed, my wife, Gail, died at the age of 47.
Since her passing, I can’t shake the feeling that nobody cares about the disease that took her away from me, even though it is actually the deadliest cancer with the lowest survival rate. Maybe it’s the idea that this is a “smoker’s disease,” even though almost 80 percent of those diagnosed are former smokers or nonsmokers. Maybe other causes simply have more vocal supporters.
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and I am challenging everyone to make this disease a priority. I want to see news stories about survivors, advances in treatments and the advocacy work taking place in our communities. For example, I work with the Lung Cancer Alliance, a group who is hosting several Shine a Light on Lung Cancer events all over New Jersey in November. For more information, visit www.shinealightonlungcancer.org. Gail loved New Jersey, especially Central Jersey and, more than anything, Metuchen and especially reading the Sentinel. She would want her community to know all it can about this battle, and that is why I’ve become involved as a lung cancer advocate in her memory. In September, I attended a lung cancer summit in Washington where representatives from all over the country “stormed the hill” to spread awareness and help bring about change. I was the only representative from New Jersey to attend this summit and was proud to represent our state and have the chance to meet staff from the offices of all four senators from New York and New Jersey, as well as staff from several other of our representatives.
Please, let’s work together to get the word out about this terrible disease to keep New Jersey talking long after November so we can save lives.
Scott Reid
Metuchen