Valerie R., FL

I started climbing for air in 2012 because an amazing Marine I met in 12/2011 had a cough that bothered me. I'm a nurse and I encouraged him to see a doctor. The VA was dragging their feet and I mentioned to a Pulmonologist I knew who's son was a Marine and he got him right in to see him. He was seen in January and dead in February. He was a smoker and had been sprayed with agent orange while he was in Vietnam as a soldier fighting. He had advance lung cancer. I wanted to do something to honor this amazing man and when I heard about the climb for air, I signed up to do it. I have spent the last 10 years participating in this worth while agency. I would like to see Lung Cancer eradicated in my life time. I miss this man every day and I think how his life was cut short by this horrific disease.