Meet Erika Hlavacek
Our inspiration
Erika is our dear friend, wife to Jeff and mom to Francesca and AJ. She’s Italian, likes to tell stories, enjoys watching her daughter swim and her son ride horses. She is spirited and energetic, she is filled with compassion and understanding, she loves life and brings laughter into every room. She will smile with your happiness and listen to your troubles.
Erika was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer 2 years ago at the age of 40. She is a non-smoker.
Help us save Erika’s life by donating life-saving research dollars
Why the Dollars Matter
The drug that is keeping Erika alive today was only approved 8 months ago. This is how critical research dollars have become to a lung cancer patient. This drug will eventually stop killing Erika’s cancer, they all do. But with more research dollars, we can approve more drugs to fill the pipeline so we can make a difference to Erika and others with lung cancer. We need the dollars to push through the critical research so these drugs become available immediately. Help us fund more research so Erika can live to enjoy more birthdays, more holidays, more good-night kisses.
Lung Cancer does not Receive Equal Funding
Did you know that lung cancer, the leading cancer killer in the U.S., receives the smallest percentage of available funds? Federal funding provides $130 million to breast cancer and $100 million to prostate cancer yet ONLY $14 million to lung cancer. Why don’t lung cancer patients deserve the same funding opportunities as other cancer patients?
Anyone can get Lung Cancer
Let’s be clear. You don’t have to be a smoker to get lung cancer. But you do have to have lungs. Do you have lungs? Well then, you are at risk. Period.
If you think you are immune to it, you aren’t. If you think you won’t get it, you might. If you think you can’t make a difference, you can.
Lung cancer spares no one. Lung cancer doesn’t care if you smoke or not. Lung cancer will rip your world apart.
Let’s raise the funds to make lung cancer irrelevant. Let’s raise the funds to save Erika’s life.
Dance for Life Challenge 