FL-23 WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: LAINIE JONES

FL-23 Women’s History Month: Lainie Jones

I would like to continue the celebration of Women’s History Month by acknowledging another incredible woman from Florida’s 23rd District.

Lainie Jones is a five-time cancer survivor who has been fighting for her life since she was a baby. At just 18 months old, she was diagnosed with adrenal carcinoma in her left adrenal gland. She has been diagnosed melanoma, thyroid cancer, and at age 27 was diagnosed with Stage-2 breast cancer and Li-Frameni syndrome, a rare disorder that makes a person more susceptible to cancer.

As a cancer survivor myself, Lainie has always been an inspiration to me, and so many of us in the South Florida community. She tries to help people see cancer as she sees it, and to not fear it. She’s taken on every challenge with a smile, and has been incredibly generous in sharing her inspirational story with so many people.

Lainie, who is an Ashkenazi Jew like myself, is more susceptible to cancer, and has worked regularly with the American Cancer Society to spread the critical message of early detection in our Jewish community.

Lainie Jones is an overall inspiration to all women and an example of how one must never lose hope even in the darkest of circumstances and I hope her story and her spirit continue to inspire women across the country.