A Survivor at Every College Stadium: Nebraska Cornhuskers
November 07, 2015
Lincoln, NE. Nebraska lung cancer survivor-advocates Kimberly Buchmeier and Leah Bochnicek represented Team Draft at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Kimberly, Leah, and their guests watched the University of Nebraska Corhuskers upset the undefeated Michigan State Spartans, 39-38. #Tacklinglungcancer #ESPN #LCAM15
Kimberly Buchmeier of Auburn, Neb., was diagnosed with non-small cell adenocarcinoma lung cancer in March 2011, at age 37. She underwent a lower right lobe lobectomy, followed by four months of chemotherapy, and today receives regular CT scans to ensure that her cancer has not returned.
Though she feels good now, getting the treatment she needed was a huge challenge. Auburn, a town of just 3,000 people, did not have a medical oncologist, so Buchmeier was forced to travel 150 miles round trip to the Southeast Nebraska Cancer Center, in Lincoln, for her thoracic surgery, chemotherapy and follow-ups. -
OMAHA, Neb. —She never smoked a day in her life and now a healthy, active mother of three is fighting to stay alive after being diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in December.
Doctors diagnosed Leah with adenocarcinoma, though she says she has never smoked a day in her life. Leah Bochnicek takes on many roles - mother, wife, co-worker, and cancer patient.
"It doesn't matter how healthy you think you are, your body is a crazy thing," Bochnicek said.
She developed an audible wheeze in her throat last summer, which turned into a persistent cough. A chest X-ray revealed she had pneumonia, even though doctors couldn't hear it with a stethoscope.
"And the reason they couldn't hear it was because I had a tumor above the pneumonia that was blocking it off," she said.
In addition to the tumor, surgery revealed spots on the exterior of her lung and nodules on the chest wall. Doctors diagnosed her with adenocarcinoma. Bochnicek said she has never smoked a day in her life.
"No one can explain to me why I got lung cancer. What is it? What environmental factor caused it?" she asked.
In 2012, we, Team Draft, launched our inaugural Survivor at Every Stadium initiative on CNN during a nationally-televised prime time special focusing on lung cancer and our National Campaign to Change the Face of Lung Cancer.
Leveraging our connections with the NFL and the NCAA, its teams and players and our relationships with many of the top cancer centers in the country, As part of our National Campaign, this celebration of survivorship raises lung cancer awareness, gives hope to those battling the disease, and shines a light on the important work being done at cancer research and treatment centers around the country.
Team Draft's goals are to create a unique experience for participating survivors and to raise awareness on a local, national, and international level by using each game and each survivor’s story to weave a broader narrative about the state of cancer and the hope that now exists for those battling the disease.
Special thanks to the University of Nebraska, University of Nebraska Cancer Center, and our Team Draft supporters for helping make this experience possible.
Donate now to Support the National Campaign to Change the Face of Lung Cancer!