Gentry Magazine
The Dynamo
BONNIE J. ADDARIO
Founder of Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation
Literally hours after non-smoker Dana Reeve, wife to actor Christopher Reeve, died from lung cancer, Bonnie Addario filed papers for the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation. “Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer and the survival rate is only 15.5 percent,” says Addario, a woman who has been a lung cancer survivor for three-and-a-half years.
Bonnie Addario’s diagnosis was serendipitous as there are usually few, if any, symptoms for lung cancer. She was being seen for a sharp pain in her side that her physicians originally thought stemmed from a herniated disc. A CT scan finally spotted a shadow on her lung. While recovering, her research uncovered how little information there was about the disease. “It is shamefully under funded and under-researched. About 450 people die every day. That’s 19 people per hour. I promised myself that if I pulled through I would do all I could to change that,” she says.
Reeve’s shocking death was her catalyst for taking action. This former company executive pulled together some wonderful friends-including Deborah Morosini, sister of Dana Reeve-physicians, and family members to establish a board. The foundation’s first gala fundraiser earned $600,000-inspiring accolades from many, including Mayor Gavin Newsom. The second gala, held this past November, drew over 700 attendees. In less than two years, Addario’s organization has raised over $1.4 million and counting. Golf tournaments, outdoor advertising donations, and a web site fuel the efforts, and their “One In A Million” campaign is seeking out one million people to donate $20 each.
More than a fundraiser, Addario is both spokesperson and political advocate for the cause. She is hosting an event in the spring to support Dr. Claudia Henschke, whose ground-breaking research is helping with early diagnosis. The Foundation has also partnered with Senator Chuck Hagel in the Federal fight for funding. Today, Addario she focuses on “making this deadly disease matter to millions” while still appreciating every moment of her recovery. “I used to believe that I understood life and what was important and what wasn’t. But I didn’t. I do now. I wish I could bottle how precious every day really is and give it to everyone I love.”
-credits: author Jodi Murphy, photographer Jack Hutcheson, and Gentry Magazine (January, 2008)
