Just breathe. It’s something you say to your friend about to go on stage in a play or to your wife as you hold her hand in the hospital room. It’s part of life; it seems so easy, but for those with pulmonary fibrosis, it is an everyday challenge.
Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the tissue deep in the lungs becomes scarred over time. Although medical research has been ongoing, there is no effective treatment or cure for the disease.
The University of Southern Indiana will host a Pulmonary Disease Awareness Symposium 8 a.m. to noon on Nov. 12. Local and regional doctors and specialists will provide an overview of innovations in pulmonary disease diagnosis, patient management and care, and how to prepare for transplant and post-transplant. The event is co-hosted by Pulmonary Fibrosis Partners, Inc.
Due to her son-in-law and his family suffering from the disease, Shirley Becker became a Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) Ambassador and began the Pulmonary Fibrosis Partners, Inc. in 2009 in Evansville.
“I discovered, when my family was directly affected by it, that there is a local need for this organization,” says Becker. “We needed to make it a local so we could put all of our money back in the community through awareness and education.”
The symposium’s target audience will include respiratory therapists, nurses, social workers, and anyone in the community impacted by PF.
If you’re interested in attending the Pulmonary Disease Awareness Symposium, call Diane Masterson at 812-425-3280.
