Adrina was working for CVS when she was approached about creating a LUNG FORCE Walk team. CVS had just started partnering with American Lung Association after removing cigarettes from their stores, and in a show of support they decided to create a team to participate at the Walk in Central Florida. Adrina took on the project and became interested in how lung health affects our lives. She soon began to realize that lung disease was not uncommon and in fact many people around her had struggled with lung disease and lung cancer.
The first person in her life to succumb to lung cancer was Adrina’s mother-in-law who passed away in 2011. Adrina’s husband shared how during his mother’s diagnosis, he was shocked to see the scan of her lungs showed extensive damage and looked to be filled with holes. “He was a smoker at the time, and he talked about being stunned by the damage that had been done to his mom’s lungs even though she had quit. He quit soon after that,” Adrina said.
Because Adrina’s husband was so close to his mother, it seemed fitting to participate in the LUNG FORCE Walk in her honor. It soon became one of the things they did annually to honor her memory. “At first we were just trying to do something to honor her but soon more people in our lives were being affected by lung disease too,” Adrina said.
Soon after, Adrina’s mother was diagnosed with COPD. Adrina continues to learn more about COPD and makes herself as available as possible to help her mother with whatever she needs as the disease progresses. Then her uncle was diagnosed with stage III lung cancer. Most recently, her youngest son was diagnosed with early signs of asthma. “He came home one day with a really bad cough, so I took him to his pediatrician who listened to his lungs and said he had asthma. I was shocked because he is so young,” Adrina said. Her healthcare provider did a blood test to determine possible triggers and prescribed a quick-relief and everyday inhaler that, after two weeks, had the coughing under control. But it was just another way that lung disease had touched Adrina’s life, and she knew she needed to do something about it.
Advocating for Lung Health
It has been 10 years since Adrina joined the committee and participated in her first LUNG FORCE Walk. Over the years, she has been able to encourage many co-workers from the 25 stores in her district to participate in the Walk. Her family, including her husband, three children, her sister and sister-in-law, always participate as well. “My kids love it, they get all decked out in turquoise, we wear tutus and bandanas and we really give it our all for those three miles,” she said. “We try to bring as many people out as we can and make every year bigger than the last.”
Last year Adrina was asked to represent Florida as one of their advocates at LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. There, she worked with other families and heroes to encourage representatives to support lung health research and education. They spoke with several representatives and assistants, including John H. Rutherford who was a strong supporter because his wife had been affected by lung cancer.
“It was incredible, I got to meet so many wonderful influential people,” she said. “It was so inspiring to be in a room where other people are advocating for their families because, if you are not a survivor, you can sometimes feel a little out of place. But I felt so accepted and supported from everyone in the group.”
She came to connect with many lung cancer survivors as well, including Cindy who was close to her age and was celebrating her second year of remission. Another hero, named Deb, Adrina knew from the Florida Walk committee. “Just hearing their stories, seeing what they have gone through and how far they have come is truly remarkable.”
She has recently become a board member for the Lung Association in Central Florida, covering 10 counties. Her experiences during Advocacy Day have motivated her to spread the word among her community, and to continue to push to educate everyone about the dangers of lung cancer.
“I feel like not many people know about the dangers of lung cancer. So much research is being done and there is a bunch of information out there, but understanding in my community and many others is lacking. I want to do everything I can to correct that,” she said.
Learn more about how you can advocate for lung cancer and lung disease.
Blog last updated: March 20, 2025
