4/5/2012 #LungCancer vanity plate makes swift move through GA General Assembly @bonniejaddario @jackieshope @teamdraftRead NowThis article was originally published in the Cherokee Ledger-News on 4/3/12. By: Jessica Wagner (PHOTO INSERT: Rep. Sean Jerguson, R-Holly Springs, and former Holly Springs Councilwoman Jacqueline Archer stand with a sample lung cancer awareness vanity plate. The plates should be on the back of vehicles by this summer. Photo special to the Ledger-News) In less than two months, former Holly Springs City Councilwoman Jacqueline Archer has accomplished something that takes many people a year, if not years, to achieve. A bill calling for the production of a lung cancer awareness vanity plate passed both houses March 26 and has made its way to Gov. Nathan Deal’s office; the bill had not been signed by press time. “I am just so excited,” said Archer. “I had no doubt that it was going to go through, but I had no idea that the other license plates, according to Rep. Sean Jerguson, have taken a year or more.” Archer, 47, called the bill a victory for anyone who has been or will be affected by lung cancer in the state. “It all started in Cherokee County because that’s where I am from, but if we could start it here and continue on, then that’s where I would like to go,” she said. “I am thinking big.” Twelve additional states, including California, Illinois, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey and Maine, have pledged to follow in Georgia’s footsteps with a vanity plate that will mirror Archer’s mission of spreading lung cancer awareness. “What I am working on right now is an example of what Georgia’s process was for getting the license plate through all of the hoops, understanding that other states may have nuances that are particular to that state,” Archer said. As a stage III never-smoking lung cancer survivor, Archer said spearheading the specialized license plate has been a dream of hers since she overcame her battle with the disease in August of 2005, just 12 weeks after being diagnosed. Her diagnosis came as a surprise six years ago when Archer was involved in a car accident. At the hospital, doctors found an orange-sized mass, which, along with 31 lymph nodes, was successfully removed. Her survival sparked a mission to spread awareness about a disease that she called “underfunded.” The pieces began falling together this past January after Archer teamed up with Jerguson and The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund to make her vision a reality. The state required 1,000 pre-order commitments prior to legislators casting a vote. While the vanity plates met the requirements set forth by the state, residents interested in donning the lung cancer awareness plate on the back of their vehicles can still place orders at www.lungcancerlicenseplate.org. “We are supplying to the Department of Driver Services everyone who is pre-paying for the license plate, along with the county that the resident lives in and their driver’s license number,” Archer said. By this summer, residents who placed pre-paid orders, as well as first-time payers, can pick up their plates. The money collected from the vanity plate sales are pre-designated for the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) through the listed recipient, The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund. “Now, we are going to be able to see a financial impact on research and early detection so that we can reach the goal by 2020 of having a survival rate of 50 percent versus the 15 percent that has remained unchanged for the last 40 years,” Archer said. In addition to taking lung cancer awareness vanity plates from coast-to-coast, Archer is traveling to Washington D.C. for a Congressional event April 19. During the event she will speak to legislators about unmasking lung cancer on purpose and not by chance, as was her story. “I am going to testify on behalf of early detection,” she said, adding it is a collaborative event with herself and Dr. Henry Krebs, director of interventional radiology at St. Joseph’s Hospital. “He will be speaking to the medical side of lung cancer; I will be speaking to the lack of early detection screening and my story.” Archer has also reached out to Cherokee County Tax Commissioner Sonya Little to promote the lung cancer awareness vanity plates during National Lung Cancer Awareness Month every November.
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The pertinent amendment language to GA HB 732, passed on March 26th.. ..
3/26/2012 The State of Georgia #LungCancer Awareness License Plate Bill Has Passed! @jackieshope @bonniejaddario @chrisdraft @teamdraft @joegaetaRead NowWe are one step closer to getting these plates on Georgia automobiles! Stay tuned!!!! 3/23/2012 The Joan Gaeta #LungCancer Fund Commits $30,000 to the Addario Lung Cancer Medical InstituteRead Now Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) March 23, 2012 - For the fifth consecutive year, The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund's annual “Dancing for Joan” event was a huge success and served as the climax to their most successful year of fundraising. Today, the Gaeta Fund announced their commitment of $30,000 to international lung cancer research through the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALMCI). They also announced the commitment of $6,000 to local awareness initiatives in 2012. On Saturday, February 25th, nearly 200 supporters gathered together at the Pavilion of East Cobb in Marietta, Georgia for the fifth annual lung cancer fundraiser. They were treated to great food, great music, and - of course - dancing. Guests were also educated and inspired by an impressive lineup of speakers. Leading things off after the cocktail hour was the Honorary Chairman of the event, Dr. Paul Scheinberg, Chief of Medical Staff at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta, Founder of Atlanta Pulmonary Group, and tireless lung cancer advocate. He explained the changes in the profile of the "typical" lung cancer patient over the last 20 years and urged people to fight the stigma. Next, guests welcomed former NFL linebacker Chris Draft, who recently lost his wife to lung cancer a mere month after they were married. They viewed his profile from ESPN and heard his inspiring words as he honors the memory of his beautiful wife Keasha with the launch of "Team Draft". We then heard from Bonnie Addario, Founder and President of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI). The cornerstone presentation of the evening recapped the advances these organizations have made in the fight against lung cancer. In July of 2010, the Gaetas announced their formal partnership with ALCMI, committing 85 percent of their net proceeds to the excellent work they are doing. Remaining funds are used in metro Atlanta for annual awareness initiatives. The “Dancing for Joan” presenting sponsor was represented by Patti Owen, Director of Oncology Services at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. She gave an update of the exciting things that are taking shape at Northside regarding the treatment of cancer - in particular lung cancer. “We are very excited about our partnership with ALMCI and for what our annual event was able to accomplish,” says Joe Gaeta, president of The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund, and son of the late Joan Gaeta, in whose memory the organization was founded. “We are confident that our supporter’s generous donations will make a deep and immediate impact with ALCMI.” “We are incredibly and deeply thankful to the Gaeta Family for their commitment to ending lung cancer in Joan's memory,” says Bonnie J. Addario, founder. “It is with partners like the Gaeta Fund that will allow ALCMI to begin to raise the 'curability' of lung cancer in a significant way.” A lifelong non-smoker, Joan Gaeta was a devoted wife, teacher, and mother of five. Diagnosed with Lung Cancer in early 2004, she fought a three and a half year battle before succumbing in July of 2007. During that time, Joan stressed the need for greater awareness of Lung Cancer, the number one cancer killer in the world, which has a very low survival rate and a tragic lack of research funds. She was most passionate about eliminating the stigma of the disease, since lung cancer also strikes non-smokers at a high rate. # # # The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund was created in the fall of 2007 as The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation by her husband and children to raise awareness of the disease, to educate the public, and to be an advocate for research. We also strive to eliminate the stigma of lung cancer and to support survivors and their loved ones in our local community. In July of 2010, they re-launched as The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund benefiting the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute. Their ultimate goal remains the same: “to eradicate lung cancer.” By partnering with one significant research initiative, they can make a much greater impact in wiping out lung cancer. ABOUT THE ADDARIO LUNG CANCER MEDICAL INSTITUTE (ALCMI) ALCMI was established in 2008 as a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization with the ultimate goal of significantly impacting survival by directly catalyzing and accelerating discovery of new and more effective treatment options for all lung cancer patients. Presently, ALCMI has 13 academic and community medical centers in the United States and Europe closely collaborating on cutting edge research initiatives. 3/15/2012 #lungcancer survivor spearheads awareness with license plate proposal @jackieshope @bonniejaddario @joegaetaRead NowBy: Jessica Wagner. This article was originally published by the Cherokee Ledger-News on March 14th, 2012 From a former Holly Springs councilwoman to philanthropist, Jacqueline Archer has her hands full, but not to the point where she can’t take on a project that could change lung cancer research for the better. Archer, with the backing of Rep. Sean Jerguson, R-Holly Springs, is asking state legislators to approve a specialty license plate that will not only fund lung cancer research but also spread awareness. However, in order for the state to manufacture the vanity plate, Archer said 1,000 pre-paid commitments are required; roughly 300 have signed up so far. “All of the required paperwork and insurances have to be submitted to the Department of Driver Services (DDS), as well as the logo design,” she said. “Once all of that is approved, that message is sent over to Rep. Jerguson, my dear friend. He will then take it to the delegation, present it and they will vote on it.” Archer said she is trying to speak before the Georgia legislators prior to a vote being cast. As the driving force behind a vanity plate, Archer said she was passionate about the initiative due to her own survival story. Six years ago, Archer was involved in an accident that required transportation to an area hospital for further evaluation. It was then the mother of three learned that she had been battling Adenocarcinoma, the fastest spreading lung cancer. The mass was described as being the size of the doctor’s fist. Now at 47, Archer called the car accident a blessing in disguise because the doctors were able to remove the orange-sized, stage III lung cancer before it spread to her brain, which would have lessened her chance for survival. Thirty-one lymph nodes also were removed from her body. Twelve weeks later, she beat the odds. Archer’s story took an interesting twist when she told the Ledger-News that she was a lifelong nonsmoker who overcame a disease that kills more than 400 people a day, many of whom have never lifted a cigarette to their mouths. Archer said she was determined to pinpoint the reason why nonsmokers develop lung cancer. “There is nothing done for lung cancer; nobody knows why people get it,” she said. Figures from the Lung Cancer Foundation illustrate the lack of understanding, as the survival rate has risen a mere .2 percent between 1971 and 2010 (15.5 percent to 15.7 percent), while the breast cancer survival rate has more than doubled.
Colon and prostate cancer survival rates also have risen from 25.3 percent to 64.8 percent and 21 percent to 99.9 percent, respectively. Archer said when she realized how much this disease is underfunded and how little research has been done, the license plate initiative began. The money collected from the vanity plate sales are pre-designated for the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) through the listed recipient The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund. “Joan Gaeta died of never-smoking lung cancer. I met Joan 11 weeks after my surgery, and she died the following year,” Archer said. “Her family started a foundation and an annual fundraiser, and I personally chose to align myself with Joan and her family because we have a lot in common.” Archer said she supports ALCMI, as the organization is on the cutting edge of research and development. “From what I found out, there are some organizations that are devoted to patient advocacy and awareness, while there are others that are devoted toward research, prevention, early detection and establishing protocol,” she said. While Archer said she thinks advocacy is good, she wants to back it up and find out how to prevent this disease. “Working with some of the hospitals nearby, we need to establish some kind of standardization of care so that when someone presents with lung cancer that molecular testing is done because it is not being offered right now,” she said. Archer said not enough is being done for a disease where time is a factor. “It spreads quickly; lung cancer patients do not have the luxury of time,” she said. “They have to stop everything … they have to have urgent care and they need to have it from the multi-disciplinary approach, which includes the radiologist, the oncologist, the dietician, the surgeon, etc.” Until a difference is made and a standardization of care is in place, Archer said lung cancer would continue to claim hundreds of lives daily. Pre-paid lung cancer vanity plates, which cost $25, can be ordered through www.lungcancerlicenseplate.org. Additional fees implemented from the DDS might apply. Those interesting in pre-paying for the plate need to provide the county they reside and their driver’s license number. Pre-paid plates can be obtained at the DDS by this summer. 3/2/2012 THIS is a big reason why Jackie Archer got our 2012 Hummingbird Award for Dedication #lungcancer @bonniejaddarioRead Now |
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