Make Every Breath Count
— Samuel Kirton

I’ve been involved in equity issues for most of my adult life and have been an advocate for the rare disease community for decades. In the biblical story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, David had no intention of shying away from Goliath. Neither do I.

Each month, Brad Dell, the director of community content at Bionews, the parent company of this website, curates a list of special days of recognition ranging from the whimsical to causes that have special meaning to both individuals and entire communities. From the whimsical side of the December list,…

Have you seen the Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso“? In it, Lasso is a fictional U.S. football coach who was recruited to manage a soccer club in the U.K. He was recruited because he knew nothing of European football. The club’s owner, Rebecca Welton, wanted the team to…

This column is my 100th for Pulmonary Fibrosis News. Thank you for allowing me to share my journey with you every week. I’ve been humbled by so many of you who feel comfortable sharing your stories with me and other readers. I’ve recently returned from the Pulmonary Fibrosis…

My mother passed away in the final hours of Thanksgiving Day three years ago. Just a week before that, I lost my stepsister, too. Understandably, it was a time of deep loss for me. At the time, COVID-19 was spreading at an alarming rate, so, like many others, I…

Early last week, the temperature here at Lake Anna, Virginia, was in the mid-80s, which was uncharacteristic for an October afternoon. By the end of the week, the highs were barely above 50 F, and frost would greet the morning sun. I started each day with a sense of awe…

Today is traditionally a day for trick-or-treating, haunted houses, pumpkin patches, hay rides, and of course, pumpkin “chunkin’”. I have always enjoyed Halloween, the scariest day of the year for many. I mentioned last week that my wife, Susan, and I host a Halloween costume party each year. Costumed partygoers and…

The pulmonary fibrosis (PF) community is not a stranger to stress. Regardless of your role, whether as a patient, caregiver, or transplant recipient, you’ve likely experienced it. The stress could be white coat syndrome or come from a test, procedure, or the many unknowns associated with living…

In a single month, I’ve had three vaccinations, three medical procedures requiring anesthesia, two lab tests, one dental appointment, one pentamidine treatment, one appointment at the pulmonary clinic, and one pulmonary function test. As I’ve noted before, life after lung transplant is busy with medical surveillance. I…

“Hello darkness, my old friend/ I’ve come to talk with you again/ Because a vision softly creeping/ Left its seeds while I was sleeping/ And the vision that was planted in my brain/ Still remains/ Within the sound of silence.” Those words are from the song “The Sound of…

Today, I’m wrapping up another trip around the sun. On Oct. 4, 1957, the day I was born, the former Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, Earth’s first artificial satellite. I’ve often wondered if there’s any relationship between my birthday and my love of space. Astronomy was my science during my…

Have you ever read a book that totally resonated with you? One that reflects who you are and enables you to see yourself in the words? I love to read a variety of genres but tend to lean toward self-improvement, technical publications, and real-life stories. A longtime friend of mine, following…