Kentucky advocate takes cancer fight to Capitol Hill
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A Kentucky cancer advocate is taking her personal fight to the nation’s Capital, pushing for more federal funding for cancer research and prevention programs.
Kim Lindgren, the Kentucky state lead ambassador for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, recently traveled to Washington, D.C. as part of the “One Voice Against Cancer” coalition. The coalition includes about 50 organizations focused on ending cancer through research, prevention and advocacy.
During the trip, Lindgren and other advocates met with members of Congress to ask for continued and increased federal funding for cancer research programs, including support for the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.
Lindgren leads volunteers across Kentucky who work with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network to advocate for policies and funding aimed at reducing the impact of cancer.
Her advocacy is also deeply personal.
Lindgren lost her mother to metastatic breast cancer in 2012, a loss she says continues to drive her work more than a decade later.
She says funding for cancer research is critical because the disease affects families across the country regardless of political affiliation.
Advocates say the push for funding has made a difference. Lindgren says thousands of messages from advocates helped convince lawmakers not to cut funding to key research agencies and instead increase support for programs that study cancer and work to prevent it.
According to Lindgren, sustained federal investment helps drive progress and increases the number of cancer survivors across the country.
She says more than 18 million cancer survivors currently live in the United States, but advocates hope that number will continue to grow as research advances.
Lindgren also encourages others to get involved in advocacy efforts, saying even small actions like contacting members of Congress or sharing personal stories about cancer can help influence decisions in Washington.
More information about becoming an advocate can be found through the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s website.
