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Louisville mother's cancer diagnosis sparks mission to raise awareness and funds for research

A young mother, athlete, and non-smoker, Elizabeth Moir's stage four lung cancer diagnosis came as a complete shock

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Elizabeth Campbell Moir is a wife, a mom and a former all-stater.  She's in her early thirties.  She has two kids under four.  She's now also a cancer patient. 

"I grew up in St. Matthews, went to Holy Spirit and Sacred Heart," Moir said, describing her life growing up as a Louisvillian.  She admitted though, as a mother of two, she and her husband have a tough time getting out to experience all of the newer things Louisville has to offer.  

Earlier this year in April, when she had returned to work after her maternity leave, she decided it was time to get back in shape. 

"I did a quick 15 minute ride at lunch and it was really hard. Being a former athlete, even out of shape, was never that difficult," she said.  "That evening, I started coughing up blood."

Moir was a powerhouse during her years at Sacred Heart on the basketball court.  She was now facing a new opponent.  

Credit: WHAS11

Elizabeth Moir was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer right after Derby this year.  

"I was 29. Never smoked," she said.  "The stigma that lung cancer is a smoker's disease has only hindered the progress that needs to happen in order for me to survive."

During further testing and scans related to her lungs, doctors found fluid build up on her brain, in and of itself, deadly.  She had immediate brain surgery. 

"Within eight days, I found out I had cancer, and had brain surgery to fix that problem that was going on," Moir said.  "It was a lot."

The outlook for stage four lung cancer is rough, somewhere between five and seven years.  Elizabeth is determined to raise money and awareness about lung cancer, the patients battling the disease, and further research medications and treatments so she can save her own life. 

"They have no idea why I have lung cancer," Moir said.  "I found that as horrible as it is, and traumatic as it is, there are many other people in this situation. My life depends on research."

Elizabeth also talked about how people seem to blame lung cancer patients, always asking her questions like, "Well, were you a smoker?' as if they deserve the disease.  She hopes people realize no one deserves cancer. 

She's running a 10K to raise money for ALK Positive Lung Cancer research.  If you'd like to help her out, you can click here.

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