Daughter to honor mother's memory in Philadelphia's Lung Force Walk after losing her to COPD

A local woman plans to honor her mother's memory as a captain in the American Lung Association's 12th Annual Lung Force Walk this weekend at the Philadelphia Zoo.

Cathleen Dayton was diagnosed with COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in 2013. She quit smoking, underwent lung surgery and participated in a clinical trial.

"She was able to go on vacation with us," her daughter Emily Dayton said. "She was able to see my brother get married and see her first grandbaby."

But in 2023, Cathleen Dayton's health rapidly declined. Doctors told her she did not have much time left as she was sent home on a ventilator.

Emily Dayton is the youngest of four siblings and her parents' only daughter. She felt a strong connection to her mother, and she chose to leave school and quit her job to take care of her mother full-time, with their home becoming a makeshift intensive care unit.

"I had to learn what each beep meant," Emily Dayton said, "what each siren meant, watching all her vitals. It was hard."

Cathleen Dayton died in 2024, but Emily Dayton continues to commemorate her mother daily.

She wears her mother's ashes on a cardinal-shaped charm on her wrist, honoring her favorite bird. Emily Dayton is also studying to become a respiratory therapist. This weekend, she's leading a team in her mother's honor at the Lung Force Walk.

"I want to walk to take the breath that she never got," Emily Dayton said.

Organizers hope to raise $250,000 through this year's event and expect more than 1,000 people from the Delaware Valley to participate. CBS News Philadelphia is returning as this year's presenting media sponsor and anchor Ukee Washington will kick off the event and host the opening ceremony.

Participants 18 years and older must fundraise at least $35 to participate in the walk. Children ages 3 to 17 years old have a fundraising requirement of $20.

To learn more and register, visit LUNGFORCE.org/philadelphia.