Our Background: Compassion

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Our Mission

Since its founding more than a decade ago, in March 2010, the mission of the Dusty Joy Foundation (dba LiveLung) has been advancing lung cancer education, early detection and compassion for people impacted by lung cancer. During the past decade, major scientific advances have significantly transformed the care of people at risk for or diagnosed with lung cancer. For example, lung cancer screening protocols have been approved as the standard of care for those considered high risk for lung cancer.

Perhaps even more dramatic to the standard of care is biomarker testing and targeted therapy. These advancements in cancer care greatly impact our lung cancer advocacy initiatives and activities.

Furthermore, we now understand that certain biomarkers that trigger lung cancer also cause other types of cancers. Therefore, we are expanding our mission to be inclusive of people with these various biomarkers that may target areas of the body beyond the lungs.

Recognizing the need to join forces with other stakeholders, particularly regarding those impacted by certain biomarkers, we will expand our reach to include those with pan-cancer biomarkers. The potential in uniting and collaborating with these stakeholders allows our organization to serve our constituents more effectively.

As the science surrounding the care and treatment of lung cancer evolves, our organization must also evolve to the changing needs and growing demands of the people we serve. To that end, we are revising our mission statement.

REVISED MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Dusty Joy Foundation (LiveLung) is advancing education, early detection, optimal care, and empathy to people impacted by lung cancer and other cancers triggered by specific biomarkers. We will accomplish our mission by bringing together patients, caregivers, providers, researchers, and other stakeholders for the good of all.

KRAS Kickers (KRAS Cancer Connect, Inc) will operate wholly under the Dusty Joy Foundation (LiveLung) as the dba KRAS Kickers to be led by KRAS Kickers Founder & Director Terri Conneran.

About Us

This LiveLung website is a virtual neighborhood created by and for the lung cancer community. Live Lung is a community environment featuring organizations dedicated to improving the lives of people battling lung cancer.

We respect each individual’s interest in being involved in our organization as well as other nonprofits in the lung cancer space. Each organization has their own unique mission, programs, initiatives, and brand identity. Yet we all share common goals to improve the lives of lung cancer patients. LiveLung is a place where all those serving the lung cancer community can retain their individuality and hold fast to their principles while uniting in the battle against our common enemy: lung cancer.

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Live Lung Community Serves the Following Purposes

  • Host lung cancer community meetings featuring educational speakers
  • Bring lung cancer patients together to share and learn from each other
  • Provide Hope Totes to dozens of cancer centers for nurse navigators to distribute to newly diagnosed lung cancer patients
  • Encourage people fighting lung cancer
  • Help newly diagnosed patients navigate available resources
  • Provide a forum for sharing stories and information
  • Enlighten the public about lung cancer facts
  • Dispel stigma and increase compassion for those impacted by lung cancer

Our Goals

Our goals are to help unite the lung cancer community.


Lung cancer advocates are incredibly passionate and spirited. Most people are shocked to learn about the travesties—stigma, lack of funding, low survival rate—until they or their loved one experiences it firsthand.

Lung cancer does not discriminate. Lung cancer advocates are liberals, conservatives, fishermen, knitters, attorneys, construction workers, painters, writers, artists, performers, doctors, wealthy, poor, old, young, African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic, married, single, divorced, engaged, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, grandparents, Christians, Jews, atheists, Islamic, Hindus. Lung cancer kills people from every walk of life, race, political belief, religion, and social status.

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Join Us

Our common enemy is lung cancer. But there is strength in numbers, especially when we have a united voice. Join us in this battle against lung cancer.

Our Tax ID Number is 27-1915648.

Dusty Joy Foundation IRS Letter of Determination

FYE 2022 IRS 990

Board Members

Live Long & Prosper!

LiveLung Team