FORT HARRISON STATE PARK - Hundreds of people spent the morning out in the beautiful weather celebrating life and raising money for a cure to prevent unnecessary deaths from lung cancer.
Lung cancer can affect all types of people at all types of ages for a number of reasons.
Kelly Baker is holding her reason--to live.
"Paxton definitely keeps me going. I need to be there for him. I plan to watch him graduate from high school and even more than that at that point," said Kelli.
Kelli was diagnosed with lung cancer in August of last year. Thanks to chemotherapy every three weeks. She's doing well for herself, her son and the rest of her army of supporters. But, today she's not fighting just for herself. She's joined the Free to Breathe Walk here at Fort Harrison State Park to help others.
"We also want to end the stigma that only smokers get lung cancer and on top of that try to get more research and funding for research," said Kelli.
The goal of the group is through research and advocacy to double lung cancer survival by 2022.
"If you're not successful with a cure, it breaks off another piece of the family," said Olean Deaton-Brown.
And Deaton-Brown and her family know all about that. They've lost several family members to lung cancer including her son-in-law, husband and mother.
"It's devastating. Lost my husband six weeks after being told he had lung cancer. My dad fought several lung cancers. It's just devastating. If you've never been through it, you have no idea," said Kyla Wisehart.
So, they walk
"To find a cure so no one else's family and children have to go through this," said Wisehart.
And deal with the heartbreaking effects of this disease.
