The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) Summit 2025 began for me with a nonstop flight from Washington, D.C., to Chicago during the longest government shutdown in the history of the U.S. I was resolved to be in Chicago for the summit, so I had backup plans that included taking the…
Make Every Breath Count
— 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 LinkedIn.
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What do we want? A therapy and a cure! When do we want it? Now! Call-and-response is a tactic often used in protests. Raising many voices together to deliver the same message is a powerful force. Together as a community, we can deliver that message. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation‘s (PFF)…
Each year, at the 11th minute of the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, a calendar alarm sounds on my phone. It recalls the signing of the armistice that marked the end of World War I in 1918. Originally known as Armistice Day, the…
“Ready to get that tube out? Sam, are you ready to get that tube out? Are you in any pain? No. Are you ready to breathe on your own?” Those were among the first words I heard as my wife, Susan, sat at my bedside while my care team brought…
Water is essential to life. As UC Davis Health notes, it’s “vital to our health. It plays a key role in many of our body’s functions, including bringing nutrients to cells, getting rid of wastes, protecting joints and organs, and maintaining body temperature.” However, the source of the water we…
For the first time in more than 10 years, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) care teams and patients will have a new treatment option following the Oct. 7 approval of Jascayd (nerandomilast) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). When I was diagnosed with IPF in January 2017,…
Vaccines are a routine part of the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) journey, regardless of where you are along the path. However, recent changes in vaccine guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have caused some confusion. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary…
In just over a month, one of the largest gatherings of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) patients, caregivers, and health professionals will take place in Chicago, at the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) Summit 2025. My idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis in January 2017 thrust my wife, Susan, and me…
My journey to a diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) began in the fall of 2016, when I was 59. It all started with a persistent cough. While the cough was annoying, especially to my wife, Susan, it wasn’t limiting my day-to-day activities. After seeing a radiologist’s report, my…
From the day I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, I set out to learn everything I could about the disease. This included how to tell others about IPF, which is so named because its cause isn’t known. When a transplant isn’t a viable…
There will be times when, despite everything you cover in planning for a trip, something happens that you didn’t anticipate. I can guarantee it. I shared with you my vacation details and preparations in my Aug. 26 column, all made to ensure the entire trip would be an opportunity…
Second in a series. Read part 1 about the foundation’s work of the past 25 years. During my interview with Scott Staszak, president and CEO of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF), I was struck by his passion for the foundation’s work. I asked him to share his thoughts…
First in a series. Shortly after I learned I had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, I came to rely on the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) as a reliable source of information. That relationship continues today, more than four years after my bilateral lung transplant in…
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