HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A diagnosis was a true shock for one man. He didn't believe he was at risk. Now, he's taking his story and looking to make a major impact.
"I don't wear headphones," said Aaron Hawkins of Hendersonville, speaking before his morning run. "I like the sound of nature. I like the sound of my feet hitting the pavement."
Four mornings a week, Aaron is out on a run.
"You solve a lot of problems," he smiled. "You're out there, and you get to sort through a lot of stuff going on."
Running's been a constant for him for about 22 years. In that time, he's run in 51 marathons.
Being an avid runner who's never been smoker, Aaron didn't expect what he'd learn in 2019. He went in for a physical where it was found he had higher cholesterol than usual. That led to some precautions, a biopsy. It was Halloween day that year, he got a call. It was lung cancer.
"It was a shock," Aaron said. "I thought, 'I've done everything right, right? It's not selective like that.'"
Suddenly, there was a whole lot more to think about on the morning run.
"I had two choices," Aaron remembered. "I could either deal with it, or I could let it take over me. They took out the superior lobe of my left lung."
Today, Aaron is cancer-free. He's just headed somewhere much further than the miles these morning runs can take him.
"I'm going to Washington DC to be part of the American Lung Association Advocacy Day," Aaron said.
"Myself and other Lung Force heroes are going to Capitol Hill to speak to our legislators about protecting Medicaid, about protecting the CDC and protecting NIH. There's a quarter of the people effected by lung cancer covered by Medicaid. Some of the treatments I benefited from stemmed from the CDC and the NIH."
Aaron set appointments with Senator Marsha Blackburn, Senator Bill Hagerty, and Representative John Rose.
Beyond high profile meetings through the American Lung Association, Aaron is sending out general words of advice: get check ups. It's something he continues to do.
"When it comes back and says, you're still good, that's a good day," Aaron said.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
I believe there are angels who walk this earth, and without a doubt, Ms. Donna Neal is one of them. She saw the need for foster parents and never looked back. She is a great example of being the change you want to see in the world.
-Carrie Sharp
