Robbi Fanberg

Robbi Fanberg

Robbi Fanberg and her husband had been missionaries for 27 years in Central and South America. Their most recent project involved starting a coffee shop to try to establish relationships with the people of San Jose, Costa Rica.

Running a business involved hard work and Robbi began to feel overwhelmingly fatigued. It seemed normal given her workload. She didn’t have time off and she pushed herself to do as much as she could each day. Robbi began to have difficulties breathing. She couldn’t use the stairs or even walk a short distance without becoming completely out of breath.

Finally, she decided she had to see the doctor. The doctor did a chest x-ray that showed she had fluid around her lung. Robbi was put in the hospital immediately. Following more tests and scans, Robbi received a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis. She was stunned because she didn’t know nonsmokers could get lung cancer.

Robbi became an A Breath of Hope Speaker and was quick to advise CT scans for those who present lung cancer symptoms. Symptoms might include a nagging cough, shoulder pain or shortness of breath that doesn’t go away. Robbi worked hard to remain positive during her journey and felt encouraged by attending support groups. She had learned the importance of being able to share her feelings with other cancer patients who were experiencing a similar journey. Robbi also felt encouraged by improvements in treatments due to recent lung cancer research findings, however she knew the field was still dramatically underfunded. We lost Robbi in July of 2017, suddenly and unexpectedly. She had just recently spoken for A Breath of Hope and seemed to be beating the cancer. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family. She was a great lady and we miss her.

Lung cancer screening saves lives by finding cancer early. Talk to your doctor. Be your own advocate.
For screening locations and low dose CT scan information, visit: www.abreathofhope.org/resources

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