The seventh annual Shine a Light on Lung Cancer event will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Administrative Services Building, 5305 Elliott Dr., Ypsilanti, Mich., located on St. Joseph Mercy Hospital property.
The event is for anyone who has been affected by the disease or those who would like to learn more about it.
Tori Tomalia, two-time lung cancer survivor and blogger, will be sharing her story with the community. Dr. Vita McCabe will be speaking as well.
“Shine a Light on Lung Cancer is a night of hope and remembrance,” McCabe said. “Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. However, it is also the least funded.”
Tomalia, a nonsmoker, said she was diagnosed with lung cancer after having a series of bad chest colds and asthma.
“I have since learned that anyone with lungs can get lung cancer,” Tomalia said.
St. Joe’s physicians from multiple departments dealing with cancer will be available for question-and-answer sessions in order to help educate the community about lung cancer Dr. McCabe said.
“I will focus on what it is like living with this disease, how I learned to understand lung cancer and advocate for myself,” Tomalia said. “As well as the support I have found from other lung cancer survivors.”
McCabe said there is an expected 28 percent increase in the diagnosis of lung cancer within the next few years, based on statistics. Before February of this year, lung cancer was known as the silent killer because it did not have a nationally recommended screening exam. Now it does, McCabe said.
Shine a Light On Lung Cancer is the largest coordinated awareness event for lung cancer in the world. This event occurs in 200 cities in the United States, as well as other countries.
Those who attend the event can use Parking Lot P. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 734-712-4673.
