Colleen Steele,  —

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.

Articles by Colleen Steele

30 Days of PH: Life Before and After PH

Day 26 of 30 Days of PH⁣ Topic: Life Before and After PH This is Karen’s Story @karensawyer3384   My life before IPAH: Hairstylist, Salon owner, traveled, attended concerts, and hair shows. But in 2013, I blacked out on the way to the bathroom. I was…

30 Days Of PH: My Girlfriend’s Son Has PH

  Day 24 of 30 Days of PH⁣ Topic: My Girlfriend’s Son Has PH This is Galen’s Story The world of PH is still relatively new to me in comparison to my age. I’m 42 now, and I’ve been actively involved in the lives of a…

Reflections From a Thankful Caregiver

Are you a pulmonary hypertension (PH) caregiver? If so, then November has been your special month. Thanksgiving is celebrated this week in the U.S., and all month there has been a focus on PH awareness and on many of you. That’s right — on many of you — because…

30 Days of PH: How I Cope With PH

  Day 22 of 30 Days of PH⁣ Topic: How I Cope With PH This is Margarita’s Story @marmarango My name is Margarita Arango. I am 39, and my PAH journey has been a long one.  At 19, I experienced symptoms of rheumatoid…

30 Days of PH: Power In Vulnerability

Day 21 of 30 Days of PH⁣ Topic: Power In Vulnerability This is Gerry’s Story @_gllangan   When I was diagnosed in September 2018, I had severe IPAH and severe congestive heart failure. I was put on an IV infusion pump with Remodulin and it was…

30 Days of PH: PH Angel Warriors Empowering Advocacy

Day 20 of 30 Days of PH⁣ Topic: PH Angel Warriors Empowering Advocacy This is Julie’s Story @JulieKeeton  The Pulmonary Hypertension Mom life seems like a lifetime ago, but the wounds of how it ravaged Weston’s tiny body are still so fresh in our hearts.

30 Days of PH: When PH Is In The Family

Day 19 of 30 Days of PH⁣ Topic: When PH Is In The Family This is Joanne’s Story @Zoanna6464   My PH story is a family one. My mom’s sister, Josephine, died at 23 in 1963. She was newly married, and her symptoms really came…

30 Days of PH: Self-Employment And PH

Day 16 of 30 Days of PH⁣ Topic: Self-Employment And PH This is Kathleen’s story @kathleen.s.photography and @rosecoloredmask When I graduated college 15 years after my diagnosis, I started a freelance photography business in San Francisco. Self-employment allowed me to make a schedule that accommodated…


A Conversation With Rare Disease Advocates