Hundreds gather at Cantigny Park to raise awareness of lung disease

WHEATON, Ill. (WGN) — Hundreds of people gathered in Cantigny Park Sunday for the American Lung Association’s (ALA) annual 5k walk to raise awareness of lung disease.

“I didn’t know the signs,” Tammy De Leonardis said. “Now, I know the signs and I’m on a mission to help others know the signs and being here is just a passion of mine.”

De Leonardis is a committee member and volunteer for the ALA’s Chicago chapter. She was out with hundreds of others at Cantigny Park on a mission that also bore close, personal ties.

“Very close to home for me,” De Leonardis said. “My father passed away from stage 4 lung cancer in 2021.”

De Leonardis’s father, Ray, was the caregiver for her mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.

“When you’re paying attention to someone else, taking care of another family member, you don’t see the signs,” De Leonardis said. “I wish I would have paid closer attention. He had coughed up some blood, went to the ER and we found out. He passed away 3 weeks after we found out.”

But not all diagnoses are terminal, according to John Anderson, a lung cancer survivor.

“You have to be screened and it’s not the end of the world once you get diagnosed,” Anderson said.

In 2013, Anderson said he went in for a CT scan on his shoulder, when they noticed a lump on his left lung.

“It was so aggressive, they had to take it out ASAP. I only have 1 lung now,” Anderson said. “However, I went through biomarker testing because chemo didn’t help me, radiation didn’t help me. They sent my specimen into biotesting and because of that, I take a medication now that has eradicated my cancer.”

By the end of the day, more than 500 participants made their way through Cantigny Park for the 5k Walk to Raise Awareness of Lung Disease.

“Every dollar raised, 90% of that goes back to the programs for research, education and advocacy and that’s why we’re here today,” said Danielle Trojanek, executive director of Greater Chicago. “With critical funds raised, we’ll be able to support research, biomarker testing, be able to advocate for those impacted.”

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