Wisconsin Lung Cancer Advocate Travels to Washington, D.C. to Share Personal Story with Lawmakers

Milwaukee resident Meridith Mueller is a lung cancer advocate who lost her mother to the disease nearly seven years ago.  On Monday, April 7, Mueller will travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with her members of Congress as part of the American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day on April 9. She will join more than 40 other LUNG FORCE Heroes from across the nation who have also been impacted by lung cancer. This is the tenth year for the nationwide event that amplifies the voices of lung cancer survivors, caregivers, and advocates to share their personal stories with lawmakers to drive lifesaving change.                                                                                              

In 2016, Mueller’s mother, Denise, started experiencing relentless fatigue and every bone in her body ached. After six months of doctor visits, and worsening symptoms, Denise demanded to have an MRI. In October of 2016 she was diagnosed with late-stage EGFR mutant non-small cell lung cancer; and it had spread to multiple organs, almost every bone in her body and her brain. Biomarker testing showed the best treatment for Denise was targeted therapy. She enrolled in a clinical trial in hopes her efforts would save someone else in the future.

Denise had started a new job two weeks prior to her diagnosis and once she revealed she had cancer to her new employer, they advised her to resign. Also, because she was a probationary employee, Denise didn’t have a lot of health care options. At the time, she was too young for Medicare and wouldn’t be eligible for another three years, Mueller’s father was months away from retirement, but fortunately his COBRA insurance was reasonable enough for them to cover the monthly premium for Denise to have health insurance.

“My mother would often say it should not be lucky to have good health insurance, lucky to get medications approved, or lucky to have a somewhat affordable COBRA premium. It should be a given,” said Mueller. “As a daughter, I cannot imagine the deep fear and anxiety of having a mother with cancer who did not have adequate health insurance, whose insurance kept rejecting treatment or medications. It should be a given.”

Mueller leaves for Washington, D.C. the morning of Monday, April 7 and she hopes to educate people about the importance of access to health care and insurance. During Advocacy Day, she will speak with the offices of Senators Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin and Representative Gwen Moore to share her personal experience with lung cancer.

This year’s event is particularly crucial as proposed federal budget cuts and policy changes threaten to undermine progress in lung cancer research, prevention and access to affordable care. LUNG FORCE Heroes will share their stories and advocate for protecting lifesaving research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), critical public health prevention and protections at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the importance of Medicaid in providing health coverage for people with and at risk for lung cancer.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day and support Meridith Mueller, the Lung Association invites Wisconsin residents to join the movement by visiting LUNGFORCE.org/AdvocacyDay and:

• Calling your Senators and Representatives to echo the voices of LUNG FORCE Heroes.
• Sending an email to Congress to advocate for continued support of lung cancer research and healthcare access.
• Engaging with lawmakers on social media to raise awareness and inspire action.

For more details about the 2025 LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day or the American Lung Association’s ongoing efforts to end lung cancer, visit LUNGFORCE.org.