Boston Lung Cancer Vigil a Huge Success! Watch TV Clips here!

jgaynor711
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Last night's vigil was amazing! Over 400 people showed up and stood in the Belvidere Plaza at the Prudential Center for over an hour and a half to listen to incredible speeches from our local legislators, pledging to be our advocates for more funding and support in the state of Massachusetts, as well as three brilliant doctors who spoke about the realities of the disease as well as the progress that's being made.

About 15 minutes in, the top of the Prudential Center was lit a beautiful shade of blue that could be seen for miles. David Givens, a former New England Patriot (and two-time Superbowl winner) did the honor of "flipping the switch" along with the Amesbury Youth Hockey team, three of whose members are the sons of a lung cancer survivor.

We heard from two of our amazing lung cancer survivors, Diane Legg and Kevin Brumett, as well as Rich Monopoli, the husband of Sarah Monopoli, a 35 year-old lifelong non-smoker who lost her battle earlier this year, nine months after giving birth to their first child.

Kay Cofrancesco and Laurie Fenton from LCA were there, which was so wonderful for us, and Heather Unruh, our local ABC affilliate news anchor did an incredible job emceeing the event.

The best part of the evening, by far, though was at the end, where volunteers took turns reading the names of over 300 people who've been affected by lung cancer - survivors, or loved ones we have lost to the disease. It was incredibly moving and words can't even describe how it felt to be in the room while all of those names were read.

As Rich said so eloquently last night, we want to continue to shine a light on lung cancer every year until the room is filled with survivors - not just the family and friends of those who are no longer with us.

Thank you to everyone who sent in names and pictures. Not only were names read, but they played in a video tribute, along with any pictures we received.

And... the best part of all (from an awareness-building standpoint) was that Heather did THREE stories about lung cancer, and the event that were broadcast on our local Boston ABC affiliate, WCVB-Channel 5!

Links to them are posted here... and in them you can learn about Diane and Kevin, our two incredible lung cancer survivors.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/18027060/index.html

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/18031387/index.html

9 replies

SusanL1

Julia:
Congratulations - it looks like it was a huge success! 400 people is an amazing turnout! Those stories were really interesting and encouraging also.
Great job.
Susan

FOZ

This was so good. thanks for sharing. It makes me wonder why My Dads tumour was never tested for the gene and why they dont do this for everyone

Dana

jgaynor711

I thought the same thing about my mom, especially since her doctor was one of the leading researchers for treating tumors with mutations and my mom was never tested. But recently I learned something from a leading Harvard researcher that explained why. I don't know if this affects your dad, but in the clinical trial mentioned, and in most others I'm aware of, former smokers and/or people with metasteses to the brain aren't eligible for the trial.

My mother was a former smoker who quit 18 years before diagnosis and at diagnosis she had mets to the brain.

At first, I was annoyed about the smoking thing, but one researcher from Mass General explained to me that of COURSE they want to do research to find treatment for people with lung cancer who've smoked. They're the largest group of people with lung cancer. But, he explained, when a person smokes, the damage done to the cells that influences the cancer growth is very very complicated and difficult to understand, therefore difficult to research and treat.

Treating lung cancer in non-smokers is, frankly, easier at the moment because they can take the smoking "question mark" out of the equation and work with fewer unknowns to try and get a successful result. The smoking is like a wild card in a way and they dont know exactly how it causes the cells to become cancerous.

So... as much as I was frustrated that my mom wasn't able to benefit from research and treatment being done literally outside her door and by her very own doctor, the system is what it is at the moment.

With more FUNDING, the researchers would have the flexibility and resources to expand their studies . But right now, lung cancer is one of the least funded cancers, so the rate at which better treatments and cures can be found is at a snail's pace compared to what it ought to be.

Hopefully with people like us on this message board - and hundreds of thousands like us - we can begin to change that reality by building awareness and raising funds so that researchers can do more than just the bare minimum for lung cancer.

stephanie410

Awesome job! What an impact you've had!

--Steph

jgaynor711

Thanks Steph!

lorihope

Julia, thank you for posting this! Heather's story is one of the best I have ever seen, and I will bookmark it and forward it to TV folks. May also post it on my blog - I have something else I really want to get up, but it's crucial that as many people as possible see this.
I'll send it to some magazine editors too...
(For some reason the second story isn't coming up for me - have tried to watch it three times...)
Diane and her family and doc did a phenomenal job telling the story.
Again, my thanks to all of you and congratulations on a phenomenal turnout,
Lori

J-me

That was absolutely amazing!!
Diane and Kevin did a wonderful job getting their point across!!!

Thank you sooooo much for sharing!

God Bless!!
J-me

ckm9

Julia,

Thank you for sharing with us. Great broadcasts!
I knew about the Vigil but unfortunately had to work and was unable to attend. I am hoping ABC will show these two local abc broadcasts on National TV, that is what we need.

Warm regards
Claudia

Joycen

Way to go, LCA-MA!! I only wish that my husband could have been here to see how you did "Shine A Light" on the East coast!

THANK YOU for all the hard work it took to pull this together and all that you continue to do.

Joyce

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