Day 2: Deana Hendrickson, advocate. "Smoker, former smoker, never smoker: no one deserves lung cancer. #NoStigma"

PROFILES IN LUNG CANCER
Lung Cancer Awareness Month 2015

Day 2: Deana Hendrickson, Lung Cancer Advocate
Co-founder of #LCSM Chat (Lung Cancer Social Media) on Twitter
Twitter handle: @LungCancerFaces

What is her connection with lung cancer?

Deana’s mother, Rita Stein, was diagnosed with stage 3b lung cancer in June 2012. During Rita’s treatment (concurrent chemo and radiation for 6 weeks) Deana found herself spending a great deal of time in waiting rooms, infusion centers, and unfortunately, her mother’s hospital room. In order to pass the time, Deana began to post lung cancer awareness messages on Twitter, which led to “meeting” other advocates, patients, and physicians on social media. When Deana’s mother died in April 2013, she continued her advocacy, in part, to help her heal from the terrible ordeal of losing her NED (no evidence of disease) mother to treatment complications.

Deana helped found #LCSM Chat (Lung Cancer Social Media) on Twitter, and does whatever she can to raise money and awareness, mixed with a little bit of outrage, on behalf of lung cancer patients and their families. As Deana says, “My mom survived the Holocaust, living in a DP (refugee) camp for two years, and the death of my dad after 53 years of marriage. She never backed down from a challenge. In her honor and memory, neither will I.”

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