A Legacy of Giving: Deborah’s “Why” 

Deborah L. is among a special group of individuals making lasting contributions to GO2 for Lung Cancer that help transform survivorship. By joining the Legacy Club, supporters like her provide the funding needed to confront lung cancer on every front, every day, for everyone. 

I was first touched by lung cancer when my 54-year-old husband of 16 years was diagnosed with stage 4 (IV) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Before Dan was diagnosed, I knew very little about the disease. I had no idea how many types of lung cancer there were, and I was even more shocked to learn about how far behind lung cancer was in research and resources compared to other major diseases. 

I was stunned to discover there wasn’t a “home” where people with lung cancer and their loved ones could go for information, resources, and support. Being the caregiver in this situation was painful and lonely, Not having a lung cancer community that I could go to for encouragement and hope was devastating.  

After Dan’s passing, I discovered Lung Cancer Alliance, now GO2 for Lung Cancer, and began supporting their work. I made honor and memorial gifts in his name, as well as in memory of other family members and friends impacted by lung cancer. I eventually became a monthly donor. GO2 is what I wish had existed in our time of need. Seeing the organization’s growth over the years gives me hope for the future of this disease. 

I can think of no better way to honor my husband and all those who have lost their lives to this hideous disease, as well as the lung cancer survivors they have left behind than to make a legacy gift to GO2. 

I hope that my legacy gift, along with the gifts of countless others, will one day level the playing field in the fight to improve outcomes for lung cancer patients through policy action and advocacy, furthering advanced research, treatments, potential cures, testing and screening for people living with, and at risk for lung cancer. I have learned over the years that we are most likely a “lung cancer family” – Dan’s family has a history of lung cancer spanning 3 generations. They all have had different lifestyles and histories of tobacco use—men and women, all in middle age, whose lives were tragically cut short by lung cancer. It doesn’t have to be this way. I want our legacy, Dan’s and mine, to be that we played a role in changing this disease for future generations. 

No matter who you are, where you live, or what your socioeconomic status is, the likelihood of being directly or indirectly affected by lung cancer is high. A monthly donation is a wonderful gift. But the long-lasting impact of a legacy gift through your will or estate is exponentially wonderful! Legacy gifts are enduring. They are a final statement of what is most important to you: your values, beliefs, and best hopes for the future.