Today we’d like to introduce you to Kerri Robbins.
Hi Kerri, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I woke up on a Friday morning in June of 2022 and got on my treadmill. I’d only been on the treadmill about 20 minutes when I started coughing. Next thing I know, the paramedics are in our house. I was rushed to the hospital, where I had an MRI of my brain.
The doctor said, “I’m going to send you to an oncologist.” When he said the word oncologist, I realized he meant cancer. When the oncologist told me that I have stage 4 non-smoking lung cancer, you could have just knocked me over with a feather. What do you mean stage 4? Stage 4 means somebody is on their deathbed. I’d never smoked a day in my life.
The oncologist had said the word radon to me, but it didn’t even register. I didn’t know what radon was. So if I didn’t know what it was, it must not have anything to do with me.
The doctor asked if I had ever tested my home for radon. I said, ‘I didn’t know I needed to.’
We got a hold of Utah Radon Services, got a short-term test, did that, and the results came back that our level was 31.3 pCi/L, which was like I was smoking three packs of cigarettes a day. I was so mad.
Now, at this point, I know that one in three homes in Utah has high radon levels. Why had I not known about this? How come somebody hadn’t told me about radon?
To determine whether your home is safe or not, you can get a free test kit from UtahRadon.org. It is very, very simple to test. We got the results back in about a week, and immediately we knew that we needed to have something done. We needed to take action right away and have a radon mitigation system installed.
When we had our mitigation, and then we did another short-term test that showed that our levels were below 1.0 pCi/L, what a difference that was! Within 2 hours, we went from 31.3 pCi/L down to less than 1.0 pCi/L.
The peace and the sense of security and the safety that that gives me of knowing that my home is safe is priceless. I love my home, so to find out that it was my home that gave me cancer was really hard.
I would have never, ever dreamed that this could happen to me. I didn’t know anything about radon. But let me tell you, it’s very real. It not only affects you, but it affects your spouse, it affects your children, it affects everything you do. Please test your home for radon!
Since 2022, Kerri has boldly shared her story and encourages everyone to test their home for radon. She has been featured on several Utah radio stations, TV, news outlets, and even received national recognition for her radon advocacy efforts from the Indoor Environments Association (the national governing body for radon testing and mitigation). She has also been involved in the White Ribbon Project, a national lung cancer awareness campaign. Her story has resulted in over 30,000 people testing their homes for radon.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My path has not been smooth, and every day presents a new challenge when you’re dealing with stage four lung cancer, but I’m grateful for the life I have. I want to make the most of each day and do anything I can to prevent other Utah residents from experiencing what I’ve gone through. A simple (and free!) radon test could have prevented my non-smoking lung cancer diagnosis. Thankfully, I take a daily chemo pill, but it costs $17K a month.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I spent a good portion of my life working for businesses, which I loved. I’d probably still be working today if I hadn’t been diagnosed with cancer. I now spend my time making every day count. I spend time with my family and friends. I’m heavily involved in radon awareness efforts and I share my story with anyone who will listen so they can avoid a situation like mine. I also love baking. Up until my diagnosis, with the help of family and neighbors, I would bake over 1,000 Christmas cookies to give to loved ones.
What were you like growing up?
I’m the oldest of eight children. Growing up in a large family, I’ve always been family-oriented and even a bit feisty. I feel it’s important to stand up for what you believe in and to protect the vulnerable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://UtahRadon.org
