Lung cancer affects the lives of millions of people every day. As one of the world’s leading cancers, over prostate and breast cancer, lung cancer has removed many a loved one from family after family. Each family’s plight for recovery is different.
A recently published article in the Times Union of Albany, NY, told of one family’s passion to carry on the hope for others dealing with the loss of a loved one. The story speaks of a family that rallied together after the death of their father, Maurice Forth. Maurice was diagnosed with cancer and died only two months later at the age of 70.
In order to have their father’s positive attitude live on, family members and friends of Maurice Forth gathered in Washington, D.C. and participated in the Marine Corps Marathon to help raise awareness and money for the fight against lung cancer. As a group, the Forth family hopes to raise $10,000 for the Lungevity Foundation and to provide hope and support to other families dealing with cancer.
Although Maurice was not a cigarette smoker and lived and worked an active lifestyle, the article notes that his lung cancer may have been a result of asbestos cancer, as he worked regularly with asbestos materials. Asbestos cancer has been an ongoing threat in the United States, and deaths from asbestos cancer have reached new highs in recent years. Maurice had the benefit of regular chest x-rays from his place of work, where he was exposed to asbestos, but chest x-rays do not reveal all forms of asbestos cancer.
Hopefully more families will take to the streets as Maurice Forth’s family has and raise awareness for not only lung cancer, but for asbestos cancer as well. As Maurice’s son Peter stated, “We know we can’t do anything to bring our father back, but we can help out other people.” And raising awareness and showing support is the best way to help loving memories live on.
