Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
Kerri Robbins is a loving wife and mother, doting grandmother, and the closest thing to Mrs. Clause you'll ever meet—but she worries this Christmas may be her last.
Christmas magic
Visiting Kerri and Ron Robbins's home during Christmastime is an unforgettable experience. As you step through the front door, you're instantly enveloped by the warmth and magic of a Christmas wonderland. The soft glow of twinkling candles and the inviting smell of freshly baked cookies fill the air.
Every nook and cranny is decked out in holiday cheer. Ask anyone who has had the opportunity to visit the Robbins' home during Christmas, and they'll all say the same thing: it's Christmas magic.
Each year, the Robbins have invited their neighborhood over to their home for a special Christmas open house. There, neighbors are greeted by Santa Claus and over 1,200 homemade sugar cookies Kerri and her "helpers" have decorated for all to enjoy. It's a labor of love Kerri has looked forward to each year until now.
A change in Christmas tradition
Unfortunately, developments in Kerri's non-smoking lung cancer made it impossible for her to host her favorite party this year.
"I just don't feel I'm up to or have the energy to do the things I used to," shared Kerri. "Instead [of baking cookies], four of my seven brothers and sisters and our entire family were here with our grandkids. We had a photographer come and do family pictures."
While she remains hopeful, and a recent MRI just may be a "Christmas miracle," she worries that this may be her last Christmas.
Kerri's journey with non-smoking lung cancer
In 2022, Kerri was diagnosed with stage four non-smoking lung cancer. Having never smoked, she was shocked by the diagnosis. Her oncologist at the Huntsman Cancer Institute asked if she had her home tested for radon, the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers –– she hadn't. In fact, she had never heard of radon before.
I love my house. I love my neighborhood, and, come to find out, that's probably what's given me cancer.
–Kerri Robbins
"Every Utah resident should know that radon is radioactive. It's a cause of cancer. You can't see it, you can't smell it, you can't feel it, but it's there in every house to some degree," Dr. Wallace Akerley from the Huntsman Cancer Institute explained. "If you don't test, you don't know if you have a dangerous house or not."
UtahRadon.org offers one free radon test kit per household.
Shortly after, she tested her home and discovered it had extremely high radon levels. Radon can be present in any home, but when exposed to it over a prolonged time, the DNA in the lungs changes, and tumors can form. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality estimates one in three homes in Utah has dangerous radon levels.
"I love my house. I love my neighborhood, and, come to find out, that's probably what's given me cancer."
Kerri is currently managing her cancer with treatments that cost $16,000 per month but has experienced disheartening setbacks, including pain and atrophy in her arm caused by the cancer metastasizing to her brain.
Kerri didn't let her diagnosis keep her down—instead, she turned to advocacy to protect other Utahns from radon-induced lung cancer. "I got up the next morning and I thought, 'I've got to let people know [about] this.'"
She has shared her story with local media and government officials and has even been featured in national news. In September, she received national recognition for her efforts to raise radon awareness at the Indoor Environments Association's annual symposium in Orlando, Florida.
Kerri's last Christmas wish
Kerri has been dealt a difficult hand, but she wants her story to prevent the same outcome for others. Her last Christmas wish is for every Utah resident to test their home for radon.
"I felt like I was so blessed that Heavenly Father has given me a mission. If this could happen to me, it could happen to anybody, and I don't want it to happen to anyone else. Please test your home for radon, and if needed, mitigate," Kerri pleaded.
To help make Kerri's last Christmas wish a reality, UtahRadon.org is offering one free radon test kit per home. The kit includes everything needed to test your home, including the shipping cost and the lab fees.
Visit UtahRadon.org today for a free radon test.
