Small Cell Lung Cancer: Kathy's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Kathy Meyer lived for 13 years after being diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. She was about 50 at diagnosis and later became a source of hope for her family and others affected by lung cancer. Her daughters, Kimberly and Stephanie, joined her in Free to Breathe Walk events to raise money for lung cancer research and to support families who would face the disease after them. Kathy often wondered why she had been allowed to live when many others did not, and her family came to see her mission as showing people that hope could exist even in hard circumstances. In late 2019, Kathy fell and broke her spine. Several months later, COVID-19 became the more serious threat. Once she was diagnosed with COVID, her family understood that the combined toll of lung cancer and COPD left her with little reserve. Kathy passed away on April 25, 2020, at age 63. Her family remembered her laughter, her ability to find good in difficult moments, and the care she received at the end of life. They continued to support lung cancer research in her memory. Their fundraising kept Kathy’s hope-centered message connected to families facing lung cancer after her death.