Federal Way resident walking 5k with, to help fight, lung cancer

Published 9:30 am Friday, August 26, 2016

Germaine Korum has an unbreakable spirit and an unbreakable bond with her family.

Korum, a Federal Way resident, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in August 2012. She will walk in the Puget Sound Free to Breathe 5K Run-Walk on Sept. 17 at Wright Park in Tacoma, and she credits the outpouring of support from her family with keeping her going.

Upon hearing the diagnosis of lung cancer, Korum admitted her reaction was different than most.

“I just remember thinking that it was not really a big deal,” Korum said. “Since we knew what it was, just send me to doctors and take care of it, get rid of it. I truly believed it was my family that was more upset than I had been. But I’ve been blessed because I have a family that fights over things like who gets to drive me to the doctor’s this time and things like that. And I know some families aren’t as lucky as I am.”

One reason for Korum’s unshakable spirit is because she’s all too familiar with death and loss. It runs in the family.

A stroke left her mother paralyzed at 43, and she died at 71. Her father died after a heart attack at 65.

Korum said she was raised to do things independently and on her own. She said it’s a contributing factor as to why she views her diagnosis differently than most and why she views her walking as a means of fighting cancer one on one.

“We were always raised independently,” Korum said. “If we wanted to do something we had to do it ourselves.”

But Korum doesn’t have to do much on her own anymore. Her immediate family – 10 strong and counting – are there for her every step of the way.

They were there with her when the family returned from a European vacation and the back pain started. It was them who decided it was time for Korum to see a doctor after she was unable to pick up Katie, her youngest granddaughter.

And the family was there for her when the doctor revealed Korum’s excruciating pain was actually cancer spreading.

“Shortly after we got home, I was having trouble picking anything up,” Korum said. “And I was having pains that felt close to my heart, but I didn’t think it was my heart.”

A CAT scan revealed Korum had a growing mass on her lung, which metastasized to her back, which caused the back pain.

The mass was pressing against Korum’s spinal cord, so surgery was out of the question, but radiation treatment caused Korum’s back to collapse, which forced doctors into surgery.

“After that surgery, they were then able to operate on the lung,” Korum said. “They actually took part of my lung out.”

After three years, doctors where able to remove the cancerous areas affecting her back pain. She now undergoes chemotherapy treatments once every three weeks.

While Korum doesn’t belong to a gym or the latest, trendy CrossFit box, it’s her grandchildren that keep her active.

She said she watches Katie, who’s now almost 7, three to four times per week. It keeps her fairly busy.

With her granddaughter being four years older than she was when Korum was originally diagnosed, Korum said she’s happier Katie is able to participate in more outings.

Korum’s diagnosis has also inspired the 7-year-old to aim for becoming a doctor, one who hopes to one day cure her grandmother’s lung cancer.

“She’s been there with me for all the doctor visits,” Korum said. “She keeps saying she wants to be a doctor. So I keep praying to stick around long enough so I can find out what she’s going to become.”

Korum has participated in numerous cancer benefit run-walk events since being diagnosed. While her lung cancer prevents any kind of strenuous activity, Korum said she will do as much walking as her body permits.

All proceeds from the Free to Breathe event will go toward lung cancer research and advocacy organizations dedicated to doubling lung cancer survival by 2022.

“It’s still absolutely worth being there and going,” Korum said. “It’s amazing to see how many people come and support other people. It’s so wonderful to watch.”