This week I received an email from Cameron Von St. James asking if I would share his wife’s story on my blog. Cameron is the husband of Heather who was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare cancer, eight years ago. She was given 15 months to live. Cameron and Heather had just had a baby girl named Lily Rose. Heather had a life-saving surgery to remove one of her lungs, part of her diaphragm and the lining of her heart. Her sister, trying to lighten the mood of the day of surgery nicknamed it “Lung Leavin’ Day”. The surgery was successful and Heather is now cancer free.
Now each year on February 2 the family celebrates Lung Leavin’ Day as a day to face their fears. They sit around a fire, write their fears on plates and then smash them into the fire. Now the day has become one of spreading awareness and urging people to action against this disease.
You can join in on their interactive website and smash your own fears. I just did.
mesothelioma.com/heather/lungleavinday
Bodhirose's Blog 
brian miller
/ February 2, 2014and you are a good friend for furthering their cause…i like their ritual…and for facing their fears….cancer is terrible and has touched several in my life…
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Bodhirose
/ February 2, 2014I think most people have been touched by cancer in some way…either personally or by a family member or friend. I do not know these people personally. I had received an email this week just asking to share their story on my blog…so I did. I like their ritual too, Brian.
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Jamie Dedes
/ February 2, 2014Sometimes these rituals are powerful.
You read and delivered more of her info than I dared to even read. Bravo, Gayle!
Happy Sunday! It’s raining here at last, which is wonderful. As you’ve probably read in the news, California is in drought. We’re enjoying the wind and the wet and the hope.
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Bodhirose
/ February 2, 2014Happy Sunday, Jamie. So grateful that you are enjoying some rain. The news of the drought there worries me…crops drying up, reservoirs down to nothing…drinking water resources a concern. Scary. My hope joins with yours.
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Renee Espriu
/ March 2, 2014This is a heart wrenching but poignant post, Gayle. I have seen so many commercials geared at this disease and in fact, my daughter-in-law’s father died from complications of being in contact with asbestos. It wasn’t cancer but he lived the last years of his life struggling to breathe and on oxygen. It was difficult to know that he and so many other’s lives were so adversely affected. Thank you for sharing this here.
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Bodhirose
/ March 2, 2014I received an email out of the blue from the husband of this young woman asking if I would post their story…and, well, of course I would. A very worthy cause. So sorry about your daughter-in-law’s father…can’t imagine struggling to breath…we take it for granted don’t we.
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