Lung Cancer Changed Everything for Michael. Your Support Changed What Came Next.

“During this battle, I couldn’t have done it without you all.”

Each year, more people die from lung cancer than breast, colon, and prostate cancer combined. Behind that statistic are individuals like Michael Byrd, whose lives are turned upside down by a diagnosis no one expects.

For Byrd, a longtime Outer Banks resident, Army veteran, and skilled carpenter, life changed in an instant in November 2025, when he was diagnosed with non-small cell carcinoma. As treatment began, the fatigue quickly became debilitating, forcing him to stop working and disrupting the rhythms of his daily life. “Everything was different,” Byrd shared. “I get up in the morning, brush my teeth, wash my face, and I have to go lay back down. It changed every part of my life.”

He underwent four rounds of chemotherapy, totaling more than 30 hours of treatment at the Outer Banks Health Cowell Cancer Center. While that care offered hope, it also brought immediate financial strain due to his inability to continue working. Byrd did not know where to turn.

That is when Interfaith Community Outreach stepped in. Through ICO’s Cancer Outreach Program, Byrd received mileage reimbursement for travel to treatment, help with rent and essential living expenses, and referrals to trusted local agencies for additional support. Just as importantly, ICO helped him navigate those resources, so he did not have to face the system alone during an already difficult time.

Those words reflect what your support makes possible. Because of donors like you, people in our community who are facing cancer can focus less on how they will afford gas, rent, or basic necessities, and focus more on healing, recovery, and hope.

Today, Byrd continues immunotherapy treatments, which are expected to continue through 2028. He is working through physical therapy and slowly rebuilding his strength, with the goal of returning to carpentry work.

Looking ahead is still not easy, but because of compassionate support from this community, it is possible. Your generosity provides more than financial assistance; it offers dignity, relief, and hope at a time when they are needed most.

If you would like to help support people like Michael, a gift to ICO’s Cancer Outreach Program makes a direct impact right here in our community. All gifts big and small are vital for ICO to honor our mission of providing a hand up, lifting our neighbors and helping them to get back on their feet. Thank you for your generosity and compassion.

For more information about Interfaith Community Outreach and ways to support its programs, please visit www.interfaithoutreach.com.

Contact:
Jenniffer Albanese, Executive Director
Interfaith Community Outreach, Inc.
P.O. Box 1663 | 115 Mustian Street
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
Phone: 252-480-0070 | Fax: 252-261-6342