Read time: 2 minutes.
HOPE Summit is where lung cancer survivors and care partners come together to connect, learn, and thrive. It's a weekend filled with inspiration, knowledge, and a whole lot of hugs and high-fives. Learn more and check out the agenda here.
Filipe, May, and Wyatt all share how HOPE Summit changed their lives and why everyone impacted by lung cancer—survivors and care partners alike—should attend this year in Bethesda, Maryland.
Filipe Paixão
What does HOPE Summit mean to you?
LUNGevity changed my life. I am from Portugal where the lung cancer community is almost nonexistent, and participating in HOPE Summit events changed my vision about the disease! Hope exists!
What surprised you at HOPE Summit?
What surprised me at HOPE Summit is the quantity of patients and caregivers that participate in the event, it's amazing to see people with similar stories and we make friends for life.
Why should someone who has never been to HOPE Summit come this year?
If you have never come to HOPE Summit, you should come because it's a life experience.
May Ogilve
What does HOPE Summit mean to you?
HOPE Summit was an opportunity to make new friends and learn more about this disease. I loved meeting people who completely understood all of the emotions that come with the diagnosis of lung cancer. I feel like hope is an understatement. To meet survivors beyond the years that you have survived with this disease can breathe back new life after grieving the one that you have lost to cancer.
What surprised you at HOPE Summit?
I personally was surprised at how much I wanted to talk to my friends rather than sit in on the information sessions. Being diagnosed with cancer changes your perspective of how valuable time is with the people that you care about.
Why should someone who has never been to HOPE Summit come this year?
I think it’s very important for people to come to the HOPE Summit. Having lung cancer can be very isolating, especially when your immediate community has no idea about the thoughts in the processes in the feelings that you have inside. Your family and your spouse and your friends may love you, but are clueless as to exactly what’s going on internally so meeting others who have walked the same path and are walking the same path is invaluable. Having this baseline of understanding, there’s no comparison.
Wyatt Davila
What does HOPE Summit mean to you?
HOPE Summit was incredibly meaningful to me. It reminded me that no matter the challenges, there is always hope. I connected with other LGBTQIA+ survivors for the first time, which was powerful and made me feel less alone. It was also inspiring to meet survivors 5, 10, even 20 years out from their diagnosis, which gave me hope for my own future and renewed confidence in my journey.
What surprised you at HOPE Summit?
I was surprised by how many caregivers were at the HOPE Summit. During a breakout session for men, I expected to see more male survivors, but the room was mostly filled with male caregivers instead. It really opened my eyes to how important caregivers are in the healing process, and how survival isn’t just about the patient, but the whole support system.
Why should someone who has never been to HOPE Summit come this year?
You should come to the HOPE Summit because it’s not just about learning new treatments or coping strategies—it’s about connecting with others who truly understand what you're going through. It’s a chance to find a community of people facing the same challenges so you don’t feel alone in a journey that can often be isolating. For me, it’s been a place to make lifelong friends who share similar experiences.
Learn more about HOPE Summit here.