Life As A Survivor: How A Division 1 College Athlete Is Fighting To Help Others Living With Lung Cancer

Imagine being a 21-year old college athlete and learning you have lung cancer. That’s what happened to this week’s guest, Taylor Bell Duck. And as we learn in this report, she’s now thriving and is sharing what she learned to help others going through a cancer battle of their own.

It all happened when Taylor thought she was having a somewhat common appendicitis. But after a few hours in an emergency room and a CT scan of her abdomen, it was revealed that her left lung was partially collapsed and that she had a large left upper lobe lung mass which ultimately led to the diagnosis of lung cancer.

“It was shocking and really, really, scary initially. And then you kind of turn into like a survival mode…So, you try to get as educated and as empowered as possible,” Taylor explained.

Now, she has partnered with Merck and other leading cancer advocacy organizations helping others achieve a “cancer game plan.”

Not only are these types of programs so fundamental to every cancer patient’s journey, but they provide three pillars of importance that every patient should have resources to: emotional well-being, health and nutrition and communication.

To learn more about Taylor’s inspiring story and her journey to helping others in their own cancer battle, watch the full segment below airing across the globe on California Life HD.