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About LiveLung

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In a Nutshell

Founded in 2010 by lung cancer survivor, Dusty Donaldson, LiveLung brings lung cancer patients, survivors, and their caregivers together for empowerment through education and community. We provide an inviting environment where everyone feels welcome regardless of the cause of their lung cancer, their prognosis, or their treatment. We also invite community partners to our meetings, including nurse navigators, collaborating organizations, and industry partners. We connect survivors with experts and resources within the community. LiveLung is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that offers a growing network of lung cancer-specific educational patient groups. Research shows that those diagnosed with lung cancer experience higher levels of distress and have more unmet physical and emotional needs than those diagnosed with other types of cancer. A significant unmet need is in-person groups so patients can connect with each other. These in-person meetings encourage, empower, and provide hope to lung cancer patients and those who support them.  However, many live in areas where no lung cancer-specific group is available. LiveLung offers virtual educational group meetings via Zoom to meet the needs of those without a local in-person meeting. LiveLung primarily relies on funding from industry partners to provide our programs for lung cancer patients and caregivers. While gratefully accept donations, we do not solicit donations from our patients during our meetings. Our guiding principle is that we are here to serve lung cancer patients and their caregivers…not the other way around.

History in the Making

LiveLung Founded

After her early-stage lung cancer diagnosis in 2005, LiveLung Founder, Dusty Donaldson, was surprised at the lack of resources for lung cancer patients and survivors and was called to act. It was out of this need that LiveLung was born.

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What We're About

About

LiveLung is on a mission to improve health outcomes by advancing lung cancer education, early detection, and compassion for people impacted by lung cancer. We do this by hosting a network of monthly educational community lung cancer patient groups. We provide resource bags to dozens of cancer centers where nurse navigators give them to newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, here to serve the lung cancer community. While we gratefully accept donations, we do not solicit donations from lung cancer patients or caregivers.

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Mission

LiveLung is on a mission to improve health outcomes by advancing lung cancer education, early detection, and compassion for people impacted by lung cancer. We are passionate about bringing together patients, caregivers, providers, and researchers to create an environment where information and understanding can be found.

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Vision

Our vision at LiveLung is to educate, empower, and provide community for those impacted by lung cancer. We strive to remove any stigma associated with a lung cancer diagnosis, leaving only compassion and empowerment. Our vision at LiveLung is improving health outcomes by building a community where those impacted by lung cancer can become educated, encouraged, and empowered to achieve the highest quality of life possible during their lung cancer treatment and survivorship journey.

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Meetings

Got lung cancer questions? We have answers.

 

Learn from lung cancer experts and other lung cancer survivors. Meetings are free and open to everyone impacted by lung cancer, including patients and the people who care about them.

  • All Lung Cancers - Virtual

  • Small Cell Lung Cancer - Virtual

  • Charlotte, NC - In-person

  • Triad Area, NC - In-person

  • Wilmington, NC - In-person

  • Fort Myers, FL - In-person

  • Tampa, FL - In-person

  • Augusta, GA - In-person

  • Kennesaw, GA- In-person (coming soon)

  • Pittsburgh, PA- Virtual (coming soon)

Community Outreach & Awareness

Raising awareness of lung cancer risk factors, radon testing, screening, and symptoms is essential to increasing lung cancer education in our communities. If you are hosting an event at which LiveLung will be welcomed to share information about lung cancer, or if you would like Dusty to speak at your event, please reach out! If we are available, we would love to participate in outreach events in your community!

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Hope Totes

To achieve our mission of advancing lung cancer education, early detection and compassion for people impacted by lung cancer, LiveLung provides Hope Totes to dozens of cancer centers where nurse navigators distribute them to newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. Hope Totes are resource bags filled with thoughtful, practical items to help patients on their treatment journey. These resource bags are one way we demonstrate compassion for the lung cancer community. Among the many helpful items in each Hope Tote, recipients find the book, “The ABCs of Lung Cancer for Patients and Advocates” and postcards with contact information and details about community and virtual meetings. We provide Hope Totes to communities where we host monthly educational patient group meetings and ship Hope Totes to individuals who join our virtual meetings.

ABCs of
Lung Cancer

The ABCs of Lung Cancer is a practical, easy-to-read guide for lung cancer patients and the people who care for and about them. Written by longtime lung cancer survivor, Dusty Donaldson, and her daughter, Kimberly Lester, the authors provide useful information for others on a lung cancer journey. The 2nd Ed. of the book is expected to be published in the Fall 2024.

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Meet the LiveLung Team

Upcoming Meetings

Have you been impacted by lung cancer? We'd like to invite you to join one of our virtual or in-person meetings. Browse our upcoming meetings here.

Dusty Joy Foundation

Dusty Joy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity nonprofit with a mission of advancing education, early detection, optimal care, and empathy for people impacted by lung cancer and other cancers triggered by specific biomarkers. We will accomplish our mission by bringing together patients, caregivers, providers, researchers, and other stakeholders for the good of all. Dusty Joy Foundation includes LiveLung, LiveLung's Small Cell Lung Cancer Group, and BRAF Bombers.

Contact Us

LiveLung is Proud to Partner with:

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ASCO 2024
NCCN 2024
IASLC 2024
CaringBridge 2024
Triage Cancer 2024
cure 2024
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