Grateful to have offered a face and voice for rare disease awareness

After quite a bit of bittersweet contemplation, I’ve made the difficult decision to retire my column, “Blooming Hope.”

Over the past five years, I’ve submitted 110 pieces reflecting on life with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and the aftermath of being a heart and lung transplant recipient. I will forever be so proud of this accomplishment.

I started contributing to Pulmonary Hypertension News three years after my transplant. It was a time of great change for me, and this space gave me a way to reconnect with a community that I had become separated from. Through the highs and lows, writing about my experiences allowed me to process so many aspects of my health journey, going all the way back to childhood.

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I’m so grateful for the healing I’ve found through writing for this community. It continues to mean so much to me, and I know how valuable every voice and resource can be.

I will forever applaud my co-workers here at Bionews, the parent company of this website, who are all doing such important work for rare disease awareness. This community is unlike any other I’ve known, filled with empathy, wit, and incredible spirit, and I’ve found so much connection among my fellow columnists. I’m so sad to be leaving, but I know I will continue to see amazing work from each rare disease site that Bionews publishes.

Anna Jeter and her dog, Luna, vacation on the North Shore of Lake Superior in August 2026. (Courtesy of Anna Jeter)

I want to thank every single person who has interacted with my work, from my editors to anyone who has taken the time to read one of my columns. To feel seen in my triumphs and struggles has meant more than I can say. The isolation of a complex illness can be devastating, but hearing others’ voices reminds me that we have no reason to feel alone. To anyone else putting in the effort to share their story, keep going! I promise you that there is someone else in this world who needs to hear it.

I’m thrilled to know that what I wrote will continue to live on via the internet. I hope my words always reach the eyes that need them most. So much of my writing has been a love letter to my younger self and the things I needed to hear along the way.

By giving up my column, I’m looking forward to having some extra time for other writing pursuits. My goal has always been to give a face and voice to life with rare disease. How I do that going forward may look a bit different, but I know those ideals will remain at the forefront of everything I create.

Thank you again for every bit of encouragement and camaraderie you have offered me over the years. I will forever cherish this experience and all that it has given me. I hope I’ve managed to provide something valuable and lasting in return.

Note: Pulmonary Hypertension News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Pulmonary Hypertension News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to pulmonary hypertension.