Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Honors Passing of Ambassador Diane Reichert

“Diane’s optimism and enthusiasm for life remains an incredible inspiration not only to us at the PFF but to everyone whose life she touched. She always remained focused on living her life to the fullest and to helping others. We would like to express our sincere condolences to her family during this difficult time. We hope they are able to find some comfort knowing that Diane will be greatly missed by the entire PF community because of her resiliency and positivity in the face of her illness,” said Courtney Firak, who is the Director of the PFF Ambassador Program.

IPF is a progressive fatal lung disease in which the alveoli and the lung tissue are damaged, becoming thick and scarred, leading to severe breathing difficulties and compromising oxygen transfer between the lungs and the bloodstream. The generation of this scar tissue is known as fibrosis. IPF is characterized by a shortness of breath that gradually worsens, with respiratory failure being the main cause of death associated with IPF. There is no cure for the disease and it is estimated that 128,000 individuals in the United States suffer from IPF, with approximately 48,000 new cases diagnosed every year. IPF has a poor prognosis and around two-thirds of the patients die within five years after being diagnosed.