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RICHMOND, VA—Friday marks the last day of the first Washington Redskins training camp in Richmond, and to mark the occasion, a former player visited the field to share an important message about lung cancer.
While there’s plenty of action out on the field, it’s on the sidelines that Chris Draft tackles an issue close to his heart—he fights lung cancer for his wife Lakeasha, who lost her battle with the cancer in December 2011.
“Prior to her diagnosis, she was challenging me, an NFL player, to do more,” former Washington Redskin player Chris Draft said.
Like 15 percent of lung cancer patients, Lakeasha never smoked, and Draft says his wife was active.
Draft says his wife’s only symptom was a shortness of breath just days before her stage 4 diagnosis.
“Anyone can get lung cancer, and it’s important that we fight for more research, more dollars so we can make sure more people live,” Draft said.
Ralph Burton, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in December, was told just this week that he was winning the fight against cancer.
“Blood tests, chest X-ray and ACT scan and all were normal,” Ralph Burton, a lung cancer survivor said.
Burton celebrates his second chance, while remembering countless patients like Lakeasha who didn’t make it.
Each year lung cancer kills more people than breast cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma combined. It impacts men, women, all races and ages, and Draft hopes more awareness will save more lives.
“With our campaign, our national campaign to change the face of lung cancer, that’s what we’re fighting for, we’re fighting for the people,” Draft said.
Other symptoms of lung cancer include everything from a cough to wheezing, bone pain and headache.
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