By Bobbie DeBoer

Oceanside CA—Blythe Turner was 20 years old when her mother, Pam, died from lung cancer. Now a Navy corpsman, Blythe will be running in her mom’s honor on Sunday, August 7th in the San Diego Free to Breathe 5K Run/Walk.
“My mom died six weeks after being diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. Since I knew I couldn’t bring her back, I had to find ways to cope with her loss. Raising money for lung cancer research makes me feel like I’m contributing to finding a cure,” said Blythe.
Since 2010, the SD Free to Breathe 5K Run/Walk has raised thousands of dollars that have gone directly to lung cancer research. Last year alone, 416 participants raised $40,000.
“Unfortunately, lung cancer is the only form of cancer where the victim is blamed. The reality is that there are a lot of people with lung cancer who never smoked a day in their lives, but there’s still a stigma associated with it,” said Blythe.
To join Blythe and hundreds of others raise research dollars for a worthy cause, the race begins at Embarcadero Marina North Park, 400 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego, with registration and check-in at 6:45.
To register online and for more information and a time line of events, visit freetobreathe.org/sandiego.