Chris Draft and Heather on Changing the Conversation Around Lung Cancer

For former NFL linebacker Chris Draft, lung cancer awareness is deeply personal. After losing his wife, Keasha, to Stage 4 lung cancer at age 38, despite her being a lifelong nonsmoker, Draft shifted his focus from professional football to advocacy through organizations including Team Draft and the Chris Draft Family Foundation. Today, he shares the message that lung cancer can affect anyone, and that survivorship and hope must be part of the conversation.

Draft’s advocacy work aligns closely with the experience of Heather, a 41-year-old Los Angeles mother and music industry professional. Around the 2023 holiday season, Heather began experiencing a persistent cough and vision disturbances. Like many busy parents, she initially dismissed her symptoms as a lingering cold or work-related strain. After months of symptoms and multiple unsuccessful treatments with antibiotics, further testing revealed she had Stage 4 EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Heather recalls the shock of learning her diagnosis at City of Hope, where she initially feared the worst. However, her care team emphasized a critical shift in lung cancer treatment: Stage 4 cancer can now often be managed with targeted therapies tailored to a patient’s unique tumor biology. Through biomarker testing, Heather’s care team identified a specific genetic mutation driving her cancer, allowing her to receive the targeted treatment Rybrevant (amivantamab-vmjw) that has stabilized her disease and allowed her to continue working, parenting and maintaining many aspects of her normal routine.

Draft highlights how advances in research have dramatically expanded treatment options over the past decade. When his wife was diagnosed in 2010, targeted therapy was still emerging. Today, biomarker-guided treatments are helping patients live longer and maintain a higher quality of life. Draft emphasizes that research breakthroughs are not just scientific milestones but real opportunities for patients to survive and thrive.

Both Draft and Heather stress the importance of listening to symptoms and seeking medical care early. Draft recalls how his wife’s shortness of breath prompted her to contact her doctor, leading to rapid testing and diagnosis. Heather similarly encourages patients not to ignore persistent or unusual symptoms, even if they seem mild or easy to explain.

The pair also discuss the emotional and lifestyle challenges that come with a cancer diagnosis. Draft notes that patients and families must often adapt to new roles, treatment schedules and support systems. Heather shares that while treatment is now part of her life, it does not define her. With monthly therapy and new treatment advancements that may further reduce treatment time and side effects, she remains optimistic about the future.

Together, their stories reinforce a powerful message: Lung cancer is evolving from a disease defined by stigma and fear to one increasingly defined by personalized treatment, survivorship and hope.