"Stop Smoking Before It's Too Late" - Daughter Who Lost Mum to Lung Cancer Issues a Heartfelt Plea on No Smoking Day

Lung cancer claims more lives than any other type of cancer, with around 90% of lung cancer cases in the UK linked to smoking. On average, half of those diagnosed may not survive beyond the first year. 

Lisa Brock is urging people across Gwent to stop smoking, drawing on both her personal heartbreak of losing her mum to lung cancer as well as her clinical expertise as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Gwent.  

Lisa said, “Your mum is the one person you call when everything goes wrong. I can’t do that anymore. She’s not there. I’m trying to get through every day without her. By the time she had a CT scan, the cancer was already advanced. She went downhill overnight. She didn’t even look like herself at the end.” 

Lisa’s mother had smoked heavily since her teens and appeared generally well until she failed to recover from what seemed like a chest infection. Her message to the public in a powerful video interview is: 

“Your family want memories with you, not memories of you- Quit smoking today”. 

Watch her full story here: https://youtu.be/d75ZvnWI5Y0 

Lisa now uses her mother’s story in her clinical practice with other Gwent residents:  

“Every day I tell my patients: don’t let this be you. Think about your partner, your children, your grandchildren. My mum will never meet hers. That’s been taken away, just because of smoking. It’s not worth it.”   

Dr. Matt Brouns, Consultant Physician in Respiratory Medicine said: 

“Half of the people I diagnose with lung cancer will not be here in a year. Most of these cases are preventable. I see the regret and sadness in people’s faces every day. If you smoke, please don’t wait for symptoms. There is help available and you can quit smoking with free support.”