End the Stigma of Lung Cancer

Since today is October 1st, and the start of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I woke up with this on my mind and in my heart today.  "Not all cancer is pink."  Now, please don't take this as me not supporting breast cancer awareness.  That is absolutely not the case.  The fact of the matter is, I support all cancer research and awareness.  I do, however, find myself feeling frustrated with everything being turned "pink" in October every year, especially since my mom's lung cancer diagnosis.

My mom died from lung cancer at 52 years young.  She never smoked a day in her life.  There is such a stigma that goes along with lung cancer.  People, for whatever reason, assume that a person with lung cancer somehow did something to "deserve" it.  NOBODY.  DESERVES.  CANCER.  One of the first questions people ask upon finding out that you, or someone you love, has lung cancer is, "did you/they smoke?"  I would find myself answering the question before it was asked sometimes, "my mom has lung cancer and she never smoked a day in her life."  Why should that be the first thing that comes to mind and why should we feel the need to defend the type of cancer our loved one has/had?  Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer related deaths in the U.S.  Lung cancer causes more deaths than colorectal, pancreas, and breast cancers combined.  If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer; regardless if you smoke or not.  


My cousin shared something with me that I just love.  She knew a non-smoker who died of lung cancer and he once said, "we don't ask people with heart disease if they ever ate bacon."  How true is that?  We'll never know what, if anything, caused my mom's cancer.  I just ask that you help end the stigma that goes along with lung cancer.  Please don't be quick to judge when you hear someone has lung cancer, or any cancer or disease for that matter.