From Lung Cancer Patient to Full Time Advocate

HOST: Hildy Grossman, CO-HOST: Jordan Rich
GUEST: Dusty Donaldson, Lung Cancer Patient Advocate, LiveLung Founder
At fifty-one, Dusty’s life was a whirlwind. A mother of three, she was also juggling a full-time career and graduate school when a lung cancer diagnosis stopped everything in its tracks. Her treatment included the surgical removal of two lobes of her lung and adjuvant chemotherapy. Now, twenty years later, with no recurrence, Dusty has gone from patient to full-time advocate. Her determination has led her to establish a national lung cancer organization dedicated to creating patient and caregiver groups, offering vital education and providing community for those facing this disease. In September 2025, to celebrate survival, she’ll take off for a road trip around the US in her “Skan Van” to raise awareness about early detection and the urgent need for research funding. She’ll join Hildy in Boston for Upstage Lung Cancer’s concert in October. How did she do all this? Listen to this inspiring story.