Survivor at Every Stadium: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Tampa, FL. November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and on Thursday, lung cancer survivor Neil Vicino and lung cancer advocate Ros Miller joined former NFL player Chris Draft at Moffitt Cancer Center where they observed a demonstration by Dr. Uwe Rix in the Lung Center of Excellence. They also visited with Dr. Sandy Anderson of Moffitt’s Mathematical Oncology Department and learn more about how mathematical equations are helping personalize cancer treatment and helping keep the disease under control rather than trying to destroy it completely.

As a television reporter at FOX 13 in Tampa, Neil Vicino witnessed history in the making, but he never imagined his story would be one of the most fascinating. When doctors diagnosed Vicino with inoperable lung cancer in the summer of 2013, they told him he had about 18 months to live. However, Vicino was eligible for a clinical trial of the immunotherapy drug Opdivo. After several months, the cancer shrunk by 90%. Vicino is now on maintenance therapy and recently has his best CT scan to date.

That evening, Vicino, lung cancer survivor Dawn Owen, and lung cancer advocate Ros Miller were Team Draft’s guests of honor for the Tampa Bay Buccaneer’s game against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. #ThursdayNightFootball #Tacklinglungcancer #SurvivorSeries

Dawn Owen

I am the new face of lung cancer: young female and a never smoker. It’s time to end the stigma and find a cure!

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 Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa Bay Bucs, NFL, Ros Miller, Jillian’s Dream 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!