Amita Jain supports GO2 for Lung Cancer to help others, too.
Shortly after Amita Jain was diagnosed with stage 4 (IV) lung cancer in January 2019, her then-teenage daughter went looking for information and found GO2 for Lung Cancer. She and her father started attending the monthly Lung Cancer Living Room series.
The caregivers had found a community of hope and caring. A few months later, they persuaded Amita to join them—and she was glad she did.
“As a physician,” said Amita, a San Francisco Bay area pediatrician, “I did not want to dive into the medical literature, or into the latest studies and all the data. I wanted to go down the patient path. And the Lung Cancer Living Room meetings are patient-centric. There was a lot of support and a lot of education, and we learned a lot.”
Finding hope, help, and a home.
The monthly Living Room meetings were extremely helpful emotionally and tied a lot of pieces together for Amita. They also provided a gateway for Amita to get more connected to GO2 for Lung Cancer and more involved. Soon, she and her family were participating in GO2’s walk/runs.
“All my friends would come,” said Jain. “I had some really memorable walks and felt humbled by the number of people who came out to support me.” She’s since joined GO2’s Phone Buddy program, helping others navigate their way through a diagnosis and treatment. And she and her daughter have participated in GO2’s Voices Summit, telling their story to her elected officials and advocating for more research funding.
There’s one more way that Amita has connected with GO2: to support her mother. Six months before Amita was diagnosed with lung cancer, the family had received a similar diagnosis for her mother. When Amita reached out to GO2’s LungMATCH program, her mother was completing chemotherapy and it was unclear what she should do next. “The medical navigators were able to review her genetic profile and give me some feedback on trials and other options. I sent them everything, and 24 hours later I had a comprehensive idea of what was out there,” said Amita.
Amita added that she feels supported every time her life intersects with GO2. “I’ve recommended the organization to so many friends of friends with a lung cancer diagnosis. I don’t know how many of them have availed themselves of resources because I know I was hesitant to do so.” If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with lung cancer, we’re here for you. Contact our HelpLine at 1-800-298-2436 or support@go2.org.
Giving back to support GO2 in its work.
Amita (left) with daughter Neha (right)
Amita is very glad she attended her first Living room meeting at GO2. Now she and her husband donate to GO2 through a donor-advised fund to help the organization continue its work.
“GO2 helped me, and I want it to flourish so it can help others too,” said Jain. “It’s an incredible organization and a place of comfort that provides valuable information and, above all, a community.”
She concluded, “For me, GO2 is personal.”
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