Colleen Steele was born and raised in New Jersey, and received a bachelor of arts in English from Immaculata University in 1994. She lives in Washington state with her husband and two sons. Her oldest child was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension when he was 8. At 14, he received a heart and double-lung transplant. Colleen’s love for writing, experience advocating for her son, and determination to spread PH awareness inspired her to become a columnist and forums moderator for Pulmonary Hypertension News in 2019. In her column, “Life as a Caregiver,” Colleen is open and honest about caring for her son, his PH experiences, and life post-transplant. It is her ambition to educate and inspire others facing similar challenges.
It’s been a while. Do you remember me? I fell silent in June 2023 after sharing a column titled “How I am coping since my husband passed away.” I’m an only child to aging parents, Mom, 86, and…
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I thought I knew how I grieve. I’ve lost many loved ones over the years, including those in the pulmonary hypertension (PH) and transplant communities. Each death hit my heart with varying degrees of force, but the…
Second in a series. Read part one. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, “emergency” is derived from the Latin word “emergere,” which means to come forth, to rise up and out. That is what our brave emergency responders…
First in a series. The rare disease community has an abundance of compliant patients and proficient caregivers. We do our best to avoid serious medical emergencies but are wise enough to know that we must also prepare…
If you can do the following things simultaneously then you are rare! Speak up and listen. Learn while you teach. Trust but also question. Be empathetic and persuasive, serious and lighthearted, gentle and strong. Also be organized and spontaneous.
Physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion are common symptoms of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and caregiver burnout. Many of us will keep packing on the fatigue until that snowball gets harder and harder to push. All too often, we’ll…
Most people are good. I truly believe we’re better than what we ingest daily from the local, national, or world news. But what often keeps us from proving it is a lack of inspiration and information. Allow me to…
True love isn’t just found in fairy tales. Terese Tuohey met her Prince Charming, Timothy (Tim) Tuohey, at a dance. They fell in love, married, and will celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary in October. In an email interview, I…
As babies, our first steps were probably acknowledged with exaggerated praise. Since then, however, not every step forward has been applauded. Wouldn’t it feel awkward if they were? My son Cullen received a heart and double-lung transplant in…
When my son Cullen experienced a fast and critical decline in health after six years of battling pulmonary hypertension (PH), he received a heart and double-lung transplant. Recovery from the surgery was difficult, and the past eight…
It’s beginning to feel a lot like the day after Christmas. Hopefully, that feeling is joy, but if it isn’t, what’s bothering you? Were symptoms of pulmonary hypertension making you too ill to go anywhere or do…
Imagine you’re walking through an open field. It’s quiet except for the faint trickle of a nearby stream and a rumble that sounds like thunder in the distance. The thunder seems to get closer, and soon you realize it’s…
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