Samuel Kirton,  —

Sam Kirton started his column in November 2021 and writes from his home at Lake Anna, Virginia, where he lives with his wife Susan. His diagnosis at age 59 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in January 2017 began a journey of awareness and advocacy. Sam was listed for a lung transplant on March 19, 2021 and received a bilateral lung transplant on July 10, 2021. This was quite the change from his career as a special agent for the Office of Special Investigations and as a corporate security executive. Sam plans to share his journey so you, too, can make every breath count. You can follow Sam’s thoughts on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Articles by Samuel Kirton

How to make your voice heard this PF Awareness Month

When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in January 2017, I wasn’t familiar with the disease, so I set out to learn everything I could about it. I wanted to understand each test I would undergo and each medication I was taking. After receiving the gift…

The one thing we should all do before it’s too late

The end of life is a period fraught with emotion. Losing someone who touched our lives creates a sudden void. I’ve witnessed alliances form following the passing of a family member, usually because there are opposing views of what the recently deceased would want. These rifts don’t always heal. But…

Answering the door when opportunity knocks

Writing “Make Every Breath Count” for you each week is an opportunity for me to share my journey, which is a form of therapy for me. It’s an outlet to process my experiences with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and receiving a bilateral lung transplant. Recently, my column…

Which is better, 1 or 1,000? It depends.

When is a larger number the better choice? It depends. Recently, I’ve noticed some people in the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) community embracing numbers in studies without understanding their context. In terms of dollars, bigger numbers are better if you’re talking about savings, but smaller numbers are better if you’re…