Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Todd Smith is raising awareness about small symptoms and environmental factors after his wife's death.
- Rachel Smith, a healthy nurse, was misdiagnosed before discovering stage 4 lung cancer.
- Smith collaborates with UtahRadon.org to promote awareness of radon and health risks.
PROVO — A Utah man is trying to raise awareness about small symptoms and potential environmental factors Tuesday after his wife's unexpected lung cancer diagnosis and death last year.
Todd Smith said his wife, Rachel, was a healthy and fit nurse when she developed a persistent cough in the fall of 2022.
"It was cold and flu season, so it's like, she's got a cough — everybody does," Smith told KSL-TV. "We had both had COVID-19 at least twice — we both had the vaccine and everything, but we were health care workers."
He said by the spring of 2023, his wife had been misdiagnosed with pneumonia when doctors took a fresh look at her health.
On May 19 — her birthday — Rachel was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
She died on Nov. 8, 2023, at the age of 32.
"It was really hard — it's hard to see because she's my wife, on top of that, it's hard to see because of my kids," Smith said as he turned emotional. "Finally, it's hard to see because I'm a nurse, and I take care of people; I try to heal people."
Smith remembered his wife as a great wife, mother, and medical professional who was his "anchor" in life.
"She was very healthy," Smith said. "She was tougher than me."
One year later, Rachel's lung cancer diagnosis remained something of a mystery. Smith said his wife was not a smoker and didn't have much of a family history of cancer.
Recently, Smith teamed up with UtahRadon.org to help raise awareness about possible environmental factors like radon, which could contribute to health problems like lung cancer. The organization was offering free radon tests.
He said in his wife's case, tests of their Saratoga Springs home showed signs of radon, but not necessarily to the extent that the situation required mitigation. Smith encourages people to pay close attention to small signs of a larger health problem — such as a cough that won't go away.
"If symptoms persist for a long time, take it seriously," Smith said. "Chances are it's not a big deal, but there's a small chance, like in the case of my wife, where it was a really big deal."
