FINDING COMMON GROUND
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help quitting smoking through Freedom From Smoking, 4 determine their eligibility for a potentially lifesaving lung cancer screening test, 5 safeguard their health and home with Radon Basics 6 or build practical asthma action plans through Asthma Basics. 7
Locally, we’ re especially proud to be hosting a series of events called Community Connections, which bring health care providers, patients and community members into the same room. These casual, interactive sessions are designed to promote education, foster open dialogue and create meaningful networking opportunities. These will cover a range of topics including lung cancer, asthma and pulmonary fibrosis. At the heart of these events is one of our biggest goals: improving communication between patients and those who care for them.
Fundraising:
Another one of our core goals is to help drive forward both basic science and clinical research into diseases that affect lung health. We’ ve witnessed remarkable progress over the past few decades: advances in lung cancer therapies and early detection methods, the development of new COPD medications and significant improvements in diagnosing and managing conditions like pulmonary arterial hypertension. None of this would be possible without research, and that’ s why fundraising is central to our mission.
Each year, we host several events specifically designed to support research efforts. The Derby Eve Gala, now in its 32nd year, is a lively and elegant evening that brings together our community to celebrate progress in lung health. It’ s a chance to honor both patients and health care professionals who have made a meaningful impact in our region. The event blends recognition, gratitude and generosity into one unforgettable night.
Another key event is the annual Fight for Air Climb, 8 a family-friendly fundraiser held at Lynn Family Stadium. Participants climb the stadium steps as a symbolic gesture of overcoming respiratory challenges, all while raising money for lung health research. It’ s a day filled with friendly competition, especially among local firefighters and police officers, and hands-on health education. We offer spirometry screenings, distribute educational materials and make the most of every opportunity to spread awareness. Together, these events raise tens of thousands of dollars annually and allow us to directly support research that continues to save lives.
The Future:
Our current focus at the American Lung Association is expanding outreach into underserved areas of Kentucky, regions that historically haven’ t received the attention or resources they deserve. We’ re working to bring more educational events, screenings and support to these communities, ensuring that lung health advocacy reaches every corner of the state.
At the same time, we remain committed to the core elements of our mission, efforts that are ongoing and, in many ways, never complete. Helping people quit smoking, reducing vaping among children and teens and improving air quality continue to be at the forefront of our policy work. These aren’ t just public health goals: they are deeply personal missions for many of us involved in this work.
One inspiring example of local collaboration is through our Board member, Dr. Scott Bickel, who works in conjunction with the Green Heart Louisville initiative to co-lead Green Lung Louisville’ s project to improve the city’ s tree canopy. This initiative isn’ t just about beautifying neighborhoods. It directly impacts lung health. We know that better air quality leads to better breathing, fewer hospital visits and healthier lives. At the Lung Association, we hope to not only support patients but also empower entire communities to get involved in programs like this, because lasting change often begins at the grassroots level.
Working with a nonprofit like the Lung Association gave me new tools. It felt like adding a new dimension to my role: not just as a physician, but as an advocate grounded in everyday action. What continues to strike me is that none of this required legislation: no sweeping policy changes, no new laws. Just people, willing to care, to listen and to show up.
Patient advocacy, especially in pulmonary care, is about giving people the space to breathe, sometimes literally, sometimes emotionally. It’ s about showing up for people when they feel overwhelmed or alone and reminding them they don’ t have to navigate their illness in isolation. And it’ s about recognizing that healing doesn’ t always begin with a prescription. Sometimes it begins with a quiet moment, a nonjudgmental voice and the shared strength of a community that cares.
That’ s the kind of advocate I want to be.
References:
1 https:// www. lung. org / lung-health-diseases / lung-disease-lookup / asthma / learnabout-asthma / asthma-basics
2 https:// www. lung. org / help-support / better-breathers-club
3 https:// www. lung. org / clean-air / emergencies-and-natural-disasters
4 https:// www. lung. org / quit-smoking / join-freedom-from-smoking
5 https:// www. lung. org / lung-health-diseases / lung-disease-lookup / lung-cancer / saved-by-the-scan
6 https:// www. lung. org / clean-air / indoor-air / indoor-air-pollutants / radon / radon-basics
7 https:// www. lung. org / lung-health-diseases / lung-disease-lookup / asthma / learnabout-asthma / asthma-basics
8 https:// www. lung. org / get-involved / events / fight-for-air-climbs
Dr. Compton is a pulmonary critical care physician at Norton Healthcare with a specialty in lung transplantation.
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