Anne Gallagher brings a deep understanding to her work as a patient navigator at a cancer institute in her hometown because she has been living with lung cancer for 11 years. Diagnosed when she was just 25 years old, she uses her personal cancer experience to help others who have been newly diagnosed. And every day she helps to dispel the stigma associated with lung cancer because she has never smoked. “I like the saying ‘Anyone who has lungs can get lung cancer,’” Anne says.
After her diagnosis, Anne learned to be her own advocate, becoming informed about her disease and the options that were available to her. Then last year she attended the 5th Annual OMG! Cancer Summit for Young Adults in Las Vegas, where she met Katie Brown, Director of Support and Advocacy for LUNGevity Foundation. Katie invited Anne to attend LUNGevity’s May 2012 HOPE Summit. The HOPE Summit is an annual conference held in the DC area that brings together lung cancer survivors from across the country for educational sessions, inspirational speakers, media opportunities, and the opportunity to make lasting connections with others living with lung cancer.
At the HOPE Summit, Anne met patients in all phases of lung cancer, from recently diagnosed to long-term survivors. She learned of different treatments and survivors’ experiences and ways people were learning to live and function better. She returned to DC for this year’s HOPE Summit, where she participated as a speaker on one of the educational panels about survivorship. She told us that last year’s Summit “was my first opportunity to sit and talk to survivors like myself. This year it felt like reconnecting with family and meeting some new family members. This year’s event left me with the courage and the hope to face another year. I really wish that the rest of the world could look into this room and see that there are lung cancer survivors who are not only surviving but thriving. It is a room of inspiration and, most importantly, hope.”
Since attending her first HOPE Summit, Anne has become outspoken about the disease as a survivor spokesperson for LUNGevity. She has made an informational video and been interviewed for articles and publications. Anne was also nominated by LUNGevity to become a Department of Defense scientific peer reviewer for lung cancer research. This is an invaluable service opportunity for survivors to help further research efforts by participating, along with scientist reviewers, on scientific peer review panels.
Educating people about lung cancer and being an advocate for herself and for others impacted by this disease is what gives Anne a sense of purpose. “It helps for me to be able to communicate to patients that there is hope,” Anne says. “You might be diagnosed with this very scary type of cancer, but there is hope. When you get to see that in a whole room of people, like the HOPE Summit, you really believe it.”
Anne copes with physical discomfort regularly, but she chooses to live with joy each day. She redefines “hope” daily, like hoping that she won’t experience pain that night. She says that smiles and laughter have helped her through the difficult moments. “You’re a stronger person when faced with adversity.”