CT mother turns advocate for lung cancer awareness after losing only son at 29 years old

Hartford Courant – Monday, April 21, 2025
By Sean Krofssik

Veronica Mann lost her only child Rashad Banks to lung cancer at 29 years old nearly four years ago.

Mann, a retired probation officer for more than 20 years, has made it a mission since to educate the public about lung cancer and speak out against proposed cuts to Medicaid, the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and The National Institutes of Health.

She recently shared her story in Washington D.C. as a part of the American Lung Association’s 2025 LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day.

Mann, a Hartford native and Bloomfield resident, was one of 45 representatives from 45 different states to travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers recently in light of potential federal cuts.

“I was representing Connecticut and encouraging congresspeople to not cut Medicaid, the CDC or the NIH,” Mann said. “I don’t understand how you can cut something so vital for people’s health and livelihood. If people don’t have medical treatment, what will they do? We thought we needed to go down there and put a face on this so maybe some of them can understand the ramifications of what they are doing to people in the future. That was our mission.”

Mann said she met with assistants from Connecticut lawmakers including U.S. Reps John Larson, Jim Himes and Johanna Hayes as well as U.S. Sens Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal.

“We met with them and spread the word. But we are lucky in Connecticut,” Mann said. “We have a group of congresspeople that know the importance of having Medicaid, the CDC and the NIH and the work that they do. Our battle was easy because they understood. But when you come from another state that doesn’t understand and they want to cut this, I’m sure those people have different battles. But we had a good battle. We had receptive people that were listening to us. We were happy to give that message to our congresspeople.

“If you have a loved one that has a condition and are receiving Medicaid, the last thing you need is to them to go to the doctor and to hear them say, ‘We can no longer treat you because our office doesn’t take Medicaid anymore,’” Mann added. “So, what are they supposed to do? You have a life-altering condition and not to have treatment? No. Are you supposed to sit there and die because you aren’t covered anymore? That’s not fair. That’s not right. Everyone needs medical care. Everyone. … Without a doubt, cuts to these departments will cost people’s lives.”

Ruth Canovi, director of advocacy with the American Lung Association in Connecticut, said the 45 representatives had 173 meetings on Capitol Hill sharing short-term goals and building long-term relationships.

“There were tense days when we heard about the layoffs at the CDC and that is really impactful,” Canovi said. “There is so much in the air right now.”

According to the American Cancer Society, there will be an estimated 226,650 lung cancer cases nationwide and 124,730 deaths in the country in 2025. In Connecticut, there are projected to be 2,740 cases and 1,230 deaths according to the American Lung Association.
Diagnosis and treatment

Mann’s son grew up in Bloomfield. He worked at Saint Francis Hospital as a cardiology monitor tech before relocating to Florida to take the same position at AdventHealth Hospital in Orlando. In November 2019, Banks, then 27 years old, complained of pain in his lower back and side area.

“He’s had kidney stones before and I told him to go to the emergency room to get checked out, but when you’ve had kidney stones before, it’s a pain you will never forget,” Mann said.

An ultrasound on his right side showed lung cancer on the lower part of his right lung.

“He called me to let me know what they found. As a mother, as a parent, you are devastated when you hear cancer. Cancer is not supposed to be for kids, it’s supposed to be for older family members. Not a 27-year-old in the prime of his life. It was hard for me and the family,” Mann said.

Mann went back and forth between Connecticut and Florida to go to oncologists and other doctor appointments with her son as a treatment plan was set up.

Mann remained in Florida after taking a March 17, 2020, flight from Bradley International Airport to Orlando. This was three days before the COVID-19 shutdowns. She said there were five people on the flight.

“I was able to be there throughout all of his chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, they decided they were going to remove the right lung because chemo was not working for him. They went in and found out the cancer had spread,” Mann said. “It was very aggressive. He went in for more immune therapy because the insurance company didn’t want to cover more chemotherapy. The doctor fought for it, but he got immunotherapy. He did radiation and the cancer didn’t go away. It took over.”

Banks died on Oct. 31, 2021.

“It was hard and not easy watching your child suffer and there’s nothing worse for a parent knowing you can’t comfort them or take away the pain,” Mann said. “In less than two years he was gone. He lost his battle with this terrible disease.”

Mann said her son was an excellent writer, good with numbers and was also an avid reader.

“He said you need to know a little bit about everything. You don’t limit yourself. He was well-versed. … He was a wonderful young man,” Mann said.

Giving back

Mann returned to Connecticut in April 2022 and soon learned about the annual American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE Walk. She decided that she wanted to give back, and this cause would be her mission.

This will be her third year participating. This year’s event will be on June 7 at East Hartford’s Great River Park.

“It’s a wonderful day and the walk keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Mann said. “Hopefully one year we will get it as big as the breast cancer and heart walks.”

Mann said her son would be proud of her for doing her part for this cause

“He knows that I’m a take-charge kind of mother. He would say, ‘You got this, mom. You got this, mom. You are doing great. I knew you would have my back and have the back of others, too.’ He would be proud. He would be very proud,” Mann said. “My son was a special young man. We had a great bond. I’m sorry someone so young had to go. What am I going to do? I can’t keep him here. I would rather him be comfortable. He’s in a higher and better place and looking down on all of us now. I just wanted to do good work in his memory.”

Canovi said she is blown away by Mann’s advocacy.

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate her bravery, passion and vulnerability of telling such a compelling and tragic story,” Canovi said. “She’s been very generous and generous.

“It’s important for people like Veronica to speak with lawmakers about the importance of investments into research and healthcare,” she added. “I can give statistics, but there’s nothing more powerful than hearing someone’s story. It’s something that they will remember.”

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