Personal connections draw people to walk in annual fundraiser for lung disease, cancer research WPXI [Video]

ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — Families, doctors and patients walked three miles in North Park on Saturday for the 10th annual Lung Force Walk to raise money for lung disease and lung cancer research.

For Margee Skalski Begley, it’s all about honoring her late brother David — who had lung disease.

“I’ll start crying because I just admire how brave he was, how strong he was. No matter what, when I called him. Every day I would ask how he was, and he would say ‘I’m doing better today,’” Skalski-Begley said.

Melanie Symoniak walked to share her own story.

“In October of 2021, at the age of 35, I was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, it was after seven months of starting with a cough,” Symoniak said.

Symoniak’s doctor walked for families impacted by lung disease and lung cancer, even his own.

“You know, I walk for my parents. I lost my parents to lung cancer when I …