Juanita Segura is a ray of hope in the fight against lung cancer. As a result, she has been awarded the 2022 Rays of Hope Award for her leadership and for inspiring hope as we work together as a community to conquer lung cancer.

Upon receiving the award on May 17, Segura said that “being diagnosed is very scary and your future is uncertain. But you can NOT let fear take control of your life and your hope. There is hope, it’s within you! You call the shots, not lung cancer. You take lung cancer by its horns and ride it, control it and manipulate it. You tell it not today, not tomorrow—you’re on my terms.”

Indeed, Segura is a force to be reckoned with. She was diagnosed with ALK-positive stage 3B non-small cell lung cancer on November 20, 2014, which has now moved to stage 4. Since being diagnosed, she has tirelessly dedicated her time toward advocating for the disease in her everyday life and via her social media channels—ultimately striving to improve the lives of others with lung cancer. She’s even opened a CrossFit training gym focused on lung cancer patients, inspiring and encouraging others as they too navigate their lung cancer journey.

Segura is a member of GO2 for Lung Cancer’s National Ambassador Council and a Phone Buddy in our peer-to-peer support program. She has shared her story at the Lung Cancer Voices Summit, the Centers of Excellence Summit and at the Lung Cancer Living Room. She’s also a fierce advocate.

“I love the fact that GO2 has a Voices Summit every year and we get a chance to talk to our state’s representatives to share our stories and goals for lung cancer research,” she said. “To me, it’s like a fight to bring awareness and to show them that we matter too.”

Finding her hope and strength in family

Segura is a mother, grandmother, sister and wife—and her family is her biggest source of strength.

“When I was first diagnosed, it was my fabulous five children that gave me the strength to fight and because of them I held on to hope to make it to five years. I’m happy to say that I’m going on my eighth year living with lung cancer. Now my new inspiration is my granddaughter Leyana and my soon-to-be grandson.”

The Rays of Hope Award honors the late Richard Heimler, a past GO2 for Lung Cancer board member who was a powerful voice for hope in the lung cancer community. The annual award recognizes a member of the lung cancer community who has demonstrated leadership and who inspires hope in people with lung cancer and their families through their own experience with the disease.