A Survivor at Every Stadium: New England Patriots

Foxboro, MA. Lung cancer survivor-advocates Linnea Olson, Diane Legg, and Hildy Grossman will represent Team Draft at Gillette Stadium on Thursday night. The survivors will watch their New England Patriots take on the visiting Miami Dolphins. #ASurvivorAtEveryStadium #NEvsMIA #ThursdayNightFootball #NFL

My purpose in recounting my experiences is two-fold: to offer hope and to provide a window into the life of someone living with terminal lung cancer. And I do mean living. I have lung cancer, but it doesn’t have me. ~ Linnea

Read more about Linnea

To others facing lung cancer today, Legg says this: “Don’t lose hope. Even though there’s not a cure, treatments have come a long way.” ~ Diane

Read more about Diane

“Being selected as a winner of the Myra Kraft Community MVP award is a very moving and meaningful achievement,” said Grossman. “As a lung cancer survivor, I am one of the rare fifteen percent who survive five years. Most people don’t realize that lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer. By receiving this award and the attention that comes with it, Upstage Lung Cancer can make even greater strides to help destigmatize lung cancer and gain more public involvement to raise research funding to invest in early diagnosis and new treatments.” ~ Hildy

Read more about Hildy’s award

In 2012, we, Team Draft, launched our inaugural Survivor at Every Stadium initiative on CNN during a nationally-televised prime time special focusing on lung cancer and our National Campaign to Change the Face of Lung Cancer.

Leveraging our connections with the NFL, its teams and players and our relationships with many of the top cancer centers in the country, As part of our National Campaign, this celebration of survivorship raises lung cancer awareness, gives hope to those battling the disease, and shines a light on the important work being done at cancer research and treatment centers around the country.

Team Draft’s goals are to create a unique experience for participating survivors and to raise awareness on a local, national, and international level by using each game and each survivor’s story to weave a broader narrative about the state of cancer and the hope that now exists for those battling the disease.

Special thanks to the New England Patriots, Dana-Farbar, Mass General and our Team Draft supporters for helping make this experience possible.

Donate now to Support the National Campaign to Change the Face of Lung Cancer!