By Rachel Shannon
Special to The Tribune from Faith Community Christian School
Kym O’Connor of Birmingham, Ala., was diagnosed in April 2012 with a rare cancer, Lung Carcinoid of Neuroendocrine (NET), in her right lung.
Having been told that she only had 30 days to live, this young mother, home-educating her two young children, found herself with little to no support for how to treat or overcome such overwhelming odds.
“I felt detached from the world, no longer carefree,” O’Connor said. “I spent my time with family and loved ones. Laughs were more beautiful, smiles more bright.”
O’Connor was unable to be treated with chemotherapy or radiation, so she took a risk and underwent surgery to remove a large portion of her lung, in hopes of extending her life.
Doctors told her she may never find another living person with Lung Carcinoid NET in her lifetime. Determined to once again defy the odds, she created the online support group, Lovable Lungnoids, to reach out to these rare patients in hopes of learning from each other. To date, there are over 2,000 members.
Following her surgery and recovery, O’Connor’s doctor encouraged her to create a conference so that doctors and patients from all over the world could learn from one another.
In April 2013, exactly one year from her original diagnosis, O’Connor, with the help of Neuroendocrine Cancer Awareness Network, held the first Lung Carcinoid NET Cancer conference at Vanderbilt University. There were over 200 in attendance and it has continued to grow each year.
Although she still lives with chronic pain from her surgery, O’Connor said, “I’ve never felt more alive than when the doctor said I was dying.”
“I’m extremely grateful and proud of her for not accepting (her prognosis),” her 12-year-old daughter said. “She kept fighting.”