Dear Jack
Foundation

Aurora

Active LifeList Participant

At 28 years old, I was diagnosed with Stage IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) during the second year of my doctoral program in Leadership and Special Education. It was November of 2021, and I had been dealing with unexplained symptoms like persistent coughing and chest pain. As a young, non-smoker with no apparent risk factors, my concerns were initially dismissed by healthcare providers.

What followed was a grueling three-month journey of misdiagnoses, insurance hurdles, and delayed scans before I was finally diagnosed. My care team moved quickly, expediting tests and starting me on a targeted therapy treatment plan.

Balancing this life-changing diagnosis while pursuing my doctorate has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life. I even delayed treatment for three weeks to undergo fertility preservation, as the thought of losing my ability to have children was one of the most heartbreaking parts of this journey.

Since then, I’ve transitioned to less toxic treatments with lung cancer specialists and I’ve been able to reclaim parts of my life that once felt out of reach. I currently take targeted therapy everyday and deal with the side effects from that.

Today, I advocate for young lung cancer patients through social media to raise awareness and help others navigate a system that often overlooks young cancer patients.

Aurora’s LifeList:

  1. Trip to El Salvador

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