November is Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month
Faces of PH
Pulmonary Hypertension News’ 30 Days of PH campaign is publishing one story per day from someone who has been affected by the disease for PH Awareness Month in November.
Day 30 of 30: A Message of Hope for All With Pulmonary Hypertension
This is Lauren Thompson’s story: My name is Lauren Thompson, and I was born on Jan. 8, 1995. I was a pretty normal child until the age of 7, with surprisingly no symptoms of pulmonary arterial hypertension. So, at least, we thought.
Day 29 0f 30: My Daughter Is My Hero
This is Becky Weiss’ story. When my daughter Emily decided to attend college in Texas, I was hesitant to let her go. We were living in Georgia and the school was 800 miles away. What if something happened? I wouldn’t be able to get to her quickly enough. Keeping her with us was not an option, though.
Day 27 of 30: The Reality of Being a High-risk Teen During Lockdown
This is Evelyn Keltgen’s story. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a very difficult time for everyone, but it has been especially hard on teens in the high-risk category due to health concerns. I’ve had pulmonary hypertension (PH) my entire life, so I’ve never known anything different. I’ve always needed to be very careful about germs so that I don’t get sick.
Day 26 of 30: Finding the Good That’s Come From the Bad
There are many horrible things I can say about pulmonary hypertension (PH), but today I’ll share some of the good that’s come from my daughter’s diagnosis. Talitha, my daughter, was diagnosed at just 3 years old. To say the least, that day was one of the most devastating of my life. Since I have only one child, Talitha is my world, and the thought of possibly losing her to this awful disease is absolutely crushing.
Day 25 of 30: Learning to Be PHabulously Independent
This is Brinley Marks’ story. On Jan. 15, 2020, I was a happy 14-year-old in gym class. You’re probably wondering how I know what I was doing that day. In fact, I remember everything about it until I collapsed. I remember everything going fuzzy, my hearing getting muffled, not knowing where I was — and the next thing I knew, I was in the hospital.
Day 24 of 30: Giving Back to the PH Community
This is Mandy Gayken’s story. I first heard about pulmonary hypertension (PH) not long after my son Evan’s one-year checkup. His new pediatrician noticed a heart murmur that his previous doctor hadn’t detected. An echocardiogram revealed that the right side of Evan’s heart was enlarged. So we were off to Children’s Minnesota Hospital from our rural home to investigate further.
Day 23 of 30: Caring for My Wife From PH to Transplant
This is Bryan Stephens’ story. I’m Bryan, and I was born and raised in Texas. I served in the U.S. Army for 15 years and am a retired combat veteran. My wife, Tammy, had pulmonary hypertension (PH) and is a transplant recipient.