Photo courtesy of Nicholas Sloop Day 10 of 30 This is Nicholas Sloop’s story: I’ve always had a pretty active lifestyle, which I attribute to my dad. Growing up with my dad as an elementary school PE teacher — one who coached many different sports during his teaching career…
30 Days of Pulmonary Fibrosis
Photo courtesy of Aishia Burnett Day 30 of 30 This is Aishia Burnett’s story: January 2015: Picture it: I was working full time, going to school part time, a mom to two high schoolers, happily married to my best friend. I got pneumonia and my doctor sent me for…
Photo courtesy of Linda M. Day 9 of 30 This is Linda M.’s story: We have been watching our friends, Kevin and Dana Olson, go through their PF journey for the past five years. Kevin was diagnosed with PF in 2014 and received a double lung transplant…
Photo courtesy of Latoya Hawkins Day 8 of 30 This is Latoya Hawkins’ story: After years of a cough that just would not go away, I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in December 2019. I was prescribed oxygen at that time, which made my disability more visible. Although I…
Photo courtesy of Mary Spilman Day 7 of 30 This is Mary Spilman’s story: I was on a Girl Scout camping trip with my granddaughter in September 2016 when I caught a cold that turned into pneumonia. The X-ray showed a spot on my lung so I had a…
Photo courtesy of Barbara Schmitz Day 6 of 30 This is Barbara Schmitz’s story: My husband, Greg, was classmates with Kevin Olson in the 1970s at the U.S. Military Academy. In October 2016, at the guys’ 40th West Point reunion, we learned that Kevin had been diagnosed with…
Photo courtesy of Tom Johnson Day 5 of 30 This is Tom Johnson’s story: I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) nearly 12 months ago. Since that time, I have undergone four lung CTs and 6–7 pulmonary function tests at my regular healthcare provider and at the…
Photo courtesy of Linda Gorman Day 4 of 30 This is Linda Gorman’s story: I am not in control of my life. Before PF, I was quite the control freak and thought I could control my health by exercising more, eating healthier, and getting more sleep. Then I started…
Photo courtesy of Gail Hicks Day 3 of 30 This is Gail Hicks’ story: My name is Gail Hicks, and my PF story began in February 2017. I had been out of breath and coughing uncontrollably for several months. We were getting ready for a trip to Florida,…
Photo courtesy of Barbara Grubb Day 2 of 30 This is Barbara Grubb’s story: My story begins like that of many IPF patients. I had a chronic cough for years and it was a long time before I received my diagnosis. I went to my doctor countless times…
Photo courtesy of Dana Olson Day 1 of 30 This is Dana Olson’s story: On Aug. 13, 2020, my husband, Kevin, received his life-saving call. He needed to get across the state to St. Louis within 4.5 hours — a donor’s lungs had been found for him! Talk about…
