From the Editor-In-Chief

A few weeks after the September/October issue went to press, I learned that Elizabeth Moir lost her courageous battle against lung cancer. Just 32 years old, she was a wife, a mother of two young daughters, a former collegiate basketball player, a nonsmoker, and gone far too soon. Although I didn't know Elizabeth personally, I'd been following her journey ever since I heard her address the crowd at the February 2020 Fight for Air Climb to benefit the American Lung Association, an event that's near and dear to my heart.

Her honest and heartfelt words so moved me so much that the next day I posted the following on social media:

I thought about Elizabeth all weekend and how I would feel looking into my daughter's eyes at that age and confronting the very real possibility that I might not be there to see her grow up. It's heart wrenching.

While I'm proud of myself and my fellow climbers for what we accomplished this past weekend, I realize that long after the staircase has been emptied, the muscle soreness has gone away, and we've gone back to the regularly scheduled programming of our lives, for others the fight isn't over.

Elizabeth's two-year fight to defeat ALK-positive lung cancer was nothing short of superhuman. Just this past February, she completed the Fight for Air Climb at the Lynn Family Stadium and hoisted one of her daughters into the air in celebration as she crossed the finish line. Any casual onlooker wouldn't have realized the significance of the moment as her cancer had returned with a vengeance.

Top: The late Elizabeth Moir (seated), with Cathy Zion, a lung cancer survivor and advocate.

By utilizing the support services offered by the local chapter of the American Lung Association, Elizabeth connected with other young women facing similar challenges. Members of a club with a no-cancellation policy, these women forged tight bonds and served as a formidable force for eradicating the stigma that lung disease only afflicts smokers. In fact, up to twenty-percent of those diagnosed with lung cancer are non-smokers. Kentucky has the grim distinction of leading the nation in lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women.

I initially became a donor to the Lung Association to honor the memory of my mother-in-law, a ray of sunshine who died from lung cancer nearly two decades ago. In the ensuing years, I have met so many people impacted by lung disease—from asthma to cancer—which only underscores why the organization's continued research, advocacy, and education efforts are absolutely critical. Lung cancer remains the least funded of the major cancers affecting women like Elizabeth.

Elizabeth will again be on my mind when I take to the stairs at the Lynn Family Stadium on March 11, 2022, for the Triple Climb Challenge. While I will still relish the physical challenge of charging up and down 5,400 steps, there will undoubtedly be an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the gift of a healthy body that allows me to do it. I hope you will consider joining me as a participant, spectator, or donor. You can find more information at climblouisville.org.

Below: Celebrating my 48th trip around the sun with family, friends, pizza and dancing at Ten20 Craft Brewery this past October.

Bridget Williams, Editor-In-Chief bridget@slmag.net