Heather E. will soon participate in her seventh Fight For Air Climb in Orlando. And this year, more than ever, it’s personal.
Heather is a safety professional and long-time American Lung Association supporter with several family members impacted by lung disease—an aunt who is living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and most recently, her stepfather, John P., was diagnosed with stage I lung cancer.
When John received his diagnosis, the first thing Heather did was visit the lung cancer resources on the American Lung Association website “I saw the two types of stage I lung cancer, what that means, and learned about potential treatments. I was able to educate myself and my family so we could support him,” she explained.
“I climb because my family has been impacted by lung disease, and more recently, lung cancer,” said Heather. She particularly praised the Lung Association’s broad educational efforts, including American Lung Association website which provides an online quiz to determine if individuals qualify for free cancer screening. When detected early, the likelihood of surviving lung cancer for five years or more jumps to 63%.
Because John, age 70, had a history of smoking, his physician recommended a low-dose CT scan to check for lung cancer. The scan caught John’s cancer early when it was most treatable. After five rounds of radiation that ended in August 2024year, John is cancer free.
“It’s important that patients and doctors know about lung cancer screening and the importance of early detection,” said Heather. “For John, he got the scan, it found the cancer at stage I and it saved his life.”
“If you want to know if you have lung cancer, just do it,” John said of the scan. “It was good that I had a doctor who was up on everything.”
Since the launch of the Saved By The Scan campaign in 2017, in partnership with the Ad Council, more than one million individuals have completed the Lung Association’s online Lung Cancer Risk Quiz, and lung cancer screening rates among those who are eligible have increased more than 170%. This year, new public service announcements encourage viewers to talk to their doctor about lung cancer screening and visit SavedByTheScan.org for more information.
“The Lung Association is literally saving lives daily, and not everyone understands their risks and what to do to stay healthy,” said Heather, who also serves on the Fight For Air Climb Leadership Committee in Orlando. “For me, this experience makes me even more excited to share the mission of the Lung Association with anyone who will listen.”
And on March 8 during the Fight For Air Climb Orlando, Heather will do just that when she joins hundreds of fellow climbers to tackle City National Bank Tower’s 25 stories.
Nearly 40 Fight For Air Climb events are scheduled in the U.S. through June. The Lung Association’s premier stair-climbing event raises money to end lung cancer, champion clean air, reduce the burden of lung disease on individuals and their families, and create a tobacco-free future. Climbs are designed for every type of climber—from beginner to competitor— and include categories for firefighter and first responder teams.
Find your Climb at Lung.org.
Learn more about lung cancer screening at SavedByTheScan.org.
Blog last updated: March 3, 2025
