30 Days of PF: My Mom Inspires Me to Be Positive

Photo courtesy of Ann Reynoso

Day 19 of 30

This is Ann Reynoso’s story:

Never a day goes by that I don’t think of my mom. She was very important to me. She helped me to be brave when we found out about my having LIP/PF. She would encourage me to do whatever was necessary to keep myself strong and courageous.

I was diagnosed in December 2019, a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in the U.S. My mom was there sharing with me her faith and her wisdom. I felt strong knowing she was in this fight with me.

Then, the unthinkable happened. On June 26, 2020, my mom contracted the virus that causes COVID-19. She was admitted to the hospital without any of her family being able to see her. I called daily to see if I could talk to her. I needed to hear her voice.

On July 27, 2020, my mother lost her battle with COVID-19. We were not able to be with her when she took her last breath. My light went out. How do I fight my disease alone? I was angry that she was taken from me, and I was afraid.

I decided to take my emotions of anger and deep sadness, and turn them into what I knew my mom would want me to do.

To help educate others about PF, I became a columnist for Pulmonary Fibrosis News. I want other patients to know that they are not alone in this fight.

I do my best to stay positive and am grateful to have had my mom for as long as I did. I know she would be so proud of me. I can just hear her saying, “Sylvia Ann, stay strong and never hide your illness.”

My mother’s memory has given me the ability not to be angry at my disease, but rather to see it as part of life’s detour that I must figure out how to navigate. Every day when I wake up, I remind myself that while PF may be a part of me, it certainly does not own me.

Note: Ann Reynoso writes the “Modern Day Mutant” column for Pulmonary Fibrosis News.

Pulmonary Fibrosis News’ 30 Days of PF campaign will publish one story per day for PF Awareness Month in September. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more stories like this, using the hashtag #30DaysofPF, or read the full series.