Surprise of a lifetime
In November 2023, Lexi began to investigate the cause of severe hip pain she'd been having for several months. She didn't think it was anything serious, but her 8 yo daughter told her "if I was in this much pain, you'd be taking me to see a doctor." That's all Lexi needed to hear to get to the bottom of what was going on. A biopsy, several scans, blood draws, and doctor's appointments confirmed an earth-shattering diagnosis of Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) with an EGFR Exon 20 insertion mutation (what a mouthful). As a 37 year old never-smoker mom of 3, Lexi was shocked to the core.
Since then Lexi has had prophylactic nail surgery to stabilize her left femur, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted treatment therapy, participated in a phase 2 drug trial, and underwent a segmentectomy to remove the section of her lung with the primary tumor. She is still currently receiving treatment and will be for the foreseeable future as there is (presently) no cure for Stage IV NSCLC.
Her anger morphed into advocacy, and
Lexi was determined to turn her personal experience
into a force for positive change
Springing into action
Lexi has become a patient advocate, working with various pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations to ensure the patient's voice and experience is heard. She was invited to become a member of the American Cancer Society’s National Lung Cancer Roundtable Survivorship Taskforce, which is dedicated to reducing the incidence of and mortality from lung cancer. She also completed a 6 month program through the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), which aims to train, develop, and nurture lung cancer patient research advocates (PRAs) for the lung cancer community. She is passionate about collaborating with and contributing to various organizations dedicated to lung cancer.
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Funds raised for Lively Lungs will be directed towards efforts that are working on breakthrough technologies and treatment for the under-researched area of the EGFR Exon 20 insertion mutation and non-profit organizations that support broader initiatives to improve the patient journey and educate the public about the universal risk of lung cancer.
The Valaseks are beyond grateful for the outpouring of love and support from their family, friends, and community. We are looking forward to growing Lively Lungs Foundation and making a real impact in the effort to improve lung cancer outcomes.
