Pets Can Help Care for the Caregivers
Three of my family members are very high maintenance. They rely on me for just about everything, and whine if I don’t help them right away. They constantly do things that distract me from…
Life as a Caregiver — Colleen Steele
Colleen Steele was born and raised in New Jersey and received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Immaculata University in 1994. 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 forum 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. Her ambition is to educate and inspire others facing similar challenges and encourage them to share their journey. If you are a caregiver and would like to be interviewed, contact Colleen at [email protected].
Featured Post
Welcoming my son as the newest PH News Forums moderator
There are two sides to every story. For six years, as both a forums moderator and columnist for Pulmonary Hypertension News, I have shared my son’s pulmonary hypertension (PH) and transplant…
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My Son Loves His Extraordinarily Ordinary Post-transplant Life
Following years of slow decline due to pulmonary hypertension (PH), by 2014, my son Cullen was in critical health, and our hopes were fading. Thankfully, a heart and double-lung transplant…
A PH Sibling’s Journey From Childhood to Adulthood
Parents of children with pulmonary hypertension (PH) commonly express concern about the emotional and developmental effects on their healthy offspring. They worry about how their healthy children deal with feelings of sadness and…
The Old Memories of Flying With PH Still Linger
My son had just been diagnosed with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH), and he had a wish — and it involved flying. “I would like to meet George W. Bush,…
How to Make Christmas Happy for a Child in the Hospital
To quote the famous holiday song, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go” — including at the hospital. Over the years, there were many times I…
To Cry or Not to Cry, That Is the Question
Being a caregiver for a child with pulmonary hypertension (PH) can wreak havoc on one’s emotions on any given day. But during the holiday season, the heartache and stress can…
I Don’t Know What You’re Going Through, but I Do Care
“I know what you’re going through.” For someone who is physically or emotionally hurting, these words often fall short in providing comfort. Although our experiences might be similar, how we get through them may…
PH Awareness Is About Telling My Story and Sharing Yours
I’ve been writing, posting to social media, and talking about my son Cullen’s pulmonary hypertension (PH) journey since his diagnosis in 2008. When a heart and double-lung transplant…
When You’re Both a PH Patient and a Caregiver
Since my son, Cullen, was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (PH) in 2008, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know many people in the PH community. One thing I’ve seen that a…
Celebrating 50 Years of Good Times and Bad
Have you ever met someone and instantly felt like you’ve known them forever? I’ve experienced a rather twisted version of this. In a previous column, I described pulmonary hypertension (PH) as a toxic…
What Do Caregivers and Succulents Have in Common?
I appreciate the camaraderie among caregivers that I have experienced. We find understanding, support, and comfort from one another, no matter what illness we are dealing with or the age of our patients. Caregiving…
‘I Apologize Too Much! Sorry for That’
I think people in the pulmonary hypertension (PH) community tend to apologize too much. We are so good at it, and we often say we are sorry when it isn’t necessary or even appropriate.
