Bonnie J. Addario: A Spark Igniting Lung Cancer Survivorship

A spark. Trailblazer in Lung Cancer Survivorship

We honor the life and legacy of Bonnie J. Addario.

Bonnie faced lung cancer head-on and turned her fight into a mission. She founded the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, co-founded the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI), and built a global movement

Bonnie J. Addario was a trailblazer for lung cancer Survivorship movement making space where there had been none. Her hugs and legacy live on.

that changed the way patients, researchers, and clinicians come together.

From Patient to Pioneer

Diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer in 2004, Bonnie moved forward with grit and determination. Within a year, she founded the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, followed soon after by the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI).

She turned her own struggle into purpose — proving that patients belong at the center of research and care, and building organizations that changed how lung cancer is seen and treated.

Her fire made lung cancer advocacy louder, prouder, and impossible to ignore.

A Spark for KRAS Kickers

We see our own mission as part of the fire Bonnie helped ignite in patient advocacy. The movement she built created space for people like me to step forward, connect with one another, and believe that together we could change what it means to face cancer.

Through ALCMI, we’ve also worked alongside her vision in research projects and publications, and today we continue building on that same spirit with new KRAS patient initiatives.

Survivorship Redefined

Bonnie was a trailblazer, helping to carve out a Survivorship movement in lung cancer, making space where there had been none.

She knew that fire can be both threat and strength. In California, fire is part of the landscape — it tests you, it changes you, and it clears the way for what’s next. Bonnie carried that fire within her and turned it toward lung cancer. She showed us that Survivorship isn’t only about years lived. It’s about walking through fear, lifting others as you go, and leaving every place you touch a little better than when you found it. That is Survivorship — and that is the legacy Bonnie gave us. Her hugs, her fire, her passion — they live on.

Carrying the Fire Forward

Bonnie’s courage changed the face of lung cancer and redefined what Survivorship means. She walked through the fire and lifted others, showing that patients can create change and shape the future. We carry that same spirit forward. KRAS: Knowledge. Research. Advocacy. Survivorship. This is our path, and Bonnie’s example fuels us to keep moving. Her hugs, her hope, her fire — they live on in us.

Bonnie, you cleared a path where none existed. You did what needed to be done.

Thank you my friend. Rest in peace. Your legacy burns bright in all of us.

— With hugs and hope,

Terri Conneran on behalf of all KRAS Kickers