Stories from our Community

LFHS helped me quit smoking. Now I get to help others do the same.
— Ginny LewisI struggled with quitting smoking over many years. I grew up with a father who smoked and started smoking myself at age 18. After several attempts, I finally quit at age 31. Eighteen years later, I decided to take a puff of a cigarette while out with friends and unfortunately was soon hooked again. I knew that I had to take hold of my habit because I didn’t want to smoke in front of my grandchildren.
I found an ad in a local newspaper for Lebanon Family Health Services’ Freedom From Smoking® program and knew the time had come to quit for good. I attended the classes with my fiancé, who was also a smoker, and we were both finally successful in quitting for good. In the fall of that year, we were married.
Less than a year later, I was in a traumatic car accident that reaffirmed my decision to quit smoking. The emotional and physical stress that I experienced was a trigger that made me vulnerable to smoking once again. However, the tools provided to me in the tobacco cessation program helped me through this difficult time and I was able to stay smoke free.
I am a Freedom From Smoking® facilitator now and I look forward to continuing in this role for many years to come. I know how difficult it is to remain a recovering smoker and I want to help others through the quitting process.