A WTOP reporter, a Maryland man and the fight for lung cancer awareness

Dan Gerecht never smoked and was an avid cyclist. Last April, the 64-year-old from Ashton, Maryland, went to the doctor after persistent coughing, back pain and shortness of breath. He was diagnosed with stage three lung cancer. “Everything happened so quickly,” says his daughter Yvonne Hale. “After he was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer, it progressed to stage 4 a week later.”

Gerecht began to explore how his world could be turned upside down so quickly. His search for answers led him to a familiar voice for longtime WTOP listeners: reporter Neal Augenstein, who had a similar, seemingly out-of-nowhere lung cancer diagnosis. Augenstein, 65, received his message in 2022, a few days before Thanksgiving. He began reporting and writing about his treatment and the emotional journey that followed. “As a reporter, I always ask people to tell their stories,” Augenstein says. “I thought it was time to share mine.”

The WTOP reporter says he heard from many readers – from elected officials to people he had covered – after he began writing about his cancer. “The reaction from the first post was overwhelming,” he says. “It was so heartwarming and supportive. The support helped me to better understand the events at that time.”

Augenstein’s reporting left an impression on Gerecht. “Neal’s journey really touched him and he was extremely inspired,” says Hale. “His reporting has given him real optimism about the fight against this problem and how we can turn the tide on the deadliest cancer in the United States.

So he sent an email to Augenstein. “Your cancer messages give me strength and encouragement as I begin this fight,” Gerecht wrote. “I’m also a non-smoker, very fit and 64. It scares the hell out of me to hear that I’m inoperable and hope for the best.”

Augenstein wrote back about his own journey and his advice to “stay away from forecast discussions” and keep your spirits high. “When Neal answered, he was giddy,” Hale says. “He told all his friends and all of our family. He printed out Neal’s article to keep next to him. Those emails and Neal’s story gave him hope.”

Six days later and just two weeks after his initial diagnosis, Gerecht died.

The loss was “one of the hardest things we’ve ever been through,” says Hale, “but we’re keeping his resilient spirit alive.” Gerecht’s wife Cindy, Yvonne and her sister Carolyn Starke decided to raise awareness of lung cancer. Hale began volunteering at the LUNGevity Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports lung cancer research and education. “It felt important to me,” she says. “I want to make sure no one else has to lose a loved one this way.”

On a Zoom call with LUNGevity to plan an awareness walk on the National Mall, Hale learned they had confirmed their speaker for the event: Neal Augenstein. “I just started tearing up,” she says. “Reconnecting with Neal over a year later would have meant a lot to my father.”

Yvonne searched her father’s emails for Augenstein’s address and then sent him a message. “It was very bittersweet and generous of Yvonne to share and connect with me,” Augenstein says. “Part of me wondered Have I done him a disservice with my optimism? But when she said my articles and emails had made an impact on him and given him some comfort in his time of need, I was incredibly touched to hear that.”

On October 26, dozens of families and friends gathered on the National Mall to kick off Lung Cancer Awareness Month at LUNGevity’s Breathe Deep Together event. A crisp fall breeze blew through the area as supporters made their way, flanked by blue and white signs honoring survivors, volunteers and family members.

Attendees took part in cooking demonstrations, visited activity booths and then gathered to tell stories of loved ones, whose pictures they wore on lanyards around their necks. Against the backdrop of the Capitol, children ran through the hallways as guests took their seats. Finally Neal took the stage.

“Our stories are a testament to the power of persistence and innovation in lung cancer treatment,” he told the crowd. “As we share the names of our incredible survivors today, let it serve as a reminder to all of us here in D.C. that anyone with a lung can get cancer, and all of us here in this community make a huge difference.”

Dan’s family wore “We Walk For Poppy” shirts – that’s what Gerecht’s grandchildren called him – and eventually met Neal. They talked about their travels and the importance of raising awareness. “Dad, he would have loved that,” Hale says.