|
 In
early 2005, Kate MacIntyre had vague, but persistent
symptoms: hot flashes, fatigue and pain in her chest.
"Sure," she explains. "Could have been menopause, pain
from too much stretching, fatigue from too much
activity." She went to her doctor and ended up having an
x-ray, a CT and a bronchoscopy. As a non-smoker, she was
not expecting a diagnosis of lung cancer on April
29, 2005.
Kate MacIntyre, executive
director of the Davidson (N.C) Business Association,
died at home on October 22, 2007,
after a valiant two-year struggle with
lung cancer.
Kate expected the best from others because it was
what she demanded of herself.
She loved life and that was something a diagnosis of
advanced cancer did nothing to lessen.
A journalist by training,
Kate tackled her cancer treatment at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill like a reporter determined
to know the truth. Her spirit,
the love and comfort she found in her life partner and
her willingness to undergo experimental treatment kept
her focused on having a good quality of life.
She continued to work right up to her death.
As the Davidson Business Association’s first
executive director, Kate helped articulate
the association's mission of promoting the town’s Main
Street area, securing several thousand dollars in grants
for cultural events, and launching such popular events
as "Art on the Green" and "Croquet on the
Green." Kate’s vision included developing the concept
of ‘hip and historic” Davidson, seeing the value of
applying to the Main Street Program of the National
Trust for Historic Preservation and considering the
attraction of creating public artworks for the town as
well a farmer's market with emphasis on buying local.
Despite decreasing mobility, Kate felt it was
important to be among the diners at the opening night of
one of Davidson’s first Italian restaurants in September
as well as Wayne Stowe’s thank you picnic on the Green.
Although not a smoker,
Kate was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005.
She volunteered to be part of a clinical drug
trial for treating such cancer under the care of Dr.
Mark Socinski at UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer
Center. She later gave public
testimony on her treatment that helped the center and
university be designated to receive millions of dollars
in state funds to accelerate research and was among the
patients recently honored by the center for this at a
reception at the home of UNC President Erskine Bowles.
Kate had said in her
testimony that no one should "give up on stage four
cancer patients."
Early on as part of the
clinical trial, aware that she was part of research that
would help others after her, she said her desire was to
"educate the public about lung cancer, bringing to the
task the same spirit I see in breast cancer advocates."
She had worked to make people aware that by some
estimates one out of every five women diagnosed with
lung cancer is a non-smoker.
If you would like to
become involved, please click
here.
Kate McIntyre Foundation
is a 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt organization.
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November is Lung
Cancer Awareness Month!
Lung Cancer Awareness Month is a national
campaign dedicated to increasing attention to
lung cancer issues. By organizing rallies,
distributing educational materials,
holding fund-raising events, contacting
Congress, and speaking to the media, those
involved in LCAM bring much-needed support and
attention to a disease that each year kills more
people than breast, prostate, colon and pancreas
cancers combined.
Click here for more
information and to see what you can do to help spread
the word.
The
Facts About
Lung Cancer
Current smokers:
35-40% of new lung
cancer cases
Former smokers: 50% of new lung cancer cases
Never smoked:
10-15% of new lung cancer
cases |
