Celebrating the lives of our Breath of Hope Ohio Co-Founders

Mark Lomeo & Annie Cacciato

Mark Lomeo and Annie Cacciato were two lung cancer patients at The Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) whose lives, like too many others, were taken too soon. Mark and Annie founded Breath of Hope Ohio and spent their last years advocating for lung cancer research. These selfless individuals were determined to improve lung cancer treatments through research. Together they brought awareness to the significant lack of funding for lung cancer. Today we honor the lives of these individuals for their determination and dedication to advancing science and lung cancer treatments. Their legacy will forever live on.

Mark was a brilliant and compassionate ophthalmologist. He was a loving father of five and husband to his wife Sandy Lomeo for almost 25 years before passing. After being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2014, Mark and his wife Sandy started the Breath of Hope Ohio Gala. Mark dedicated the remainder of his life to raising awareness and much-needed funds for lung cancer research through this foundation. As a result of Mark's determination and initiative, Breath of Hope Ohio has raised over $1 million towards lung cancer research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Annie's bright smile, natural leadership, and bubbly personality will always be remembered. She was a caring mother of three and wife to her husband of 25 years, Matt Cacciato. Annie and her husband Matt started The Blue Beautiful Skies Fund in 2014 after Annie was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2013. The Blue Beautiful Skies Fund partnered with Breath of Hope Ohio to raise over $1 million towards lung cancer research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Annie was a non-smoker with known exposure to high levels of radon. She created the Annie Cacciato Radon Awareness Act, which designated January as Radon Awareness Month in Ohio to raise awareness for the link between radon exposure and increased risk for lung cancer. This legislation was passed in 2021, making January 2022 the first official Radon Awareness Month in Ohio.

We are thankful for these individuals' immense contributions to improving lung cancer research and giving hope to lung cancer patients and their families as this research presses closer to discovering a cure for lung cancer. Those who had the honor to know Annie and Mark will hold them in their hearts forever, while those who did not get to know Annie or Mark will embrace their dream to find a cure for lung cancer, and their legacies will live on forever.