LungBlog

Close to 1,000 rainbow ribbons were handed out Friday to those who came to a funeral service for Meaghan Latone, a Fairport native and non-smoker’s lung cancer activist.

The concept of the ribbons, said her father, Bill Barry of Fairport, symbolized her fight for awareness of the disease she battled for two years, one that receives too little financial support and deserves more research. For instance, other cancers, including breast, prostate and colon cancers, receive a lot of publicity. Breast cancer has a pink ribbon, he said. But, Mrs. Latone would say, there are 72 kinds of cancer.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if there was one ribbon and every one was fought equally?” Barry said. “It gives everyone the chance to be advocates and say, here’s what cancer is about.”