When Tyler Garigen was diagnosed with PH, he was only 4 years old. Thanks to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA), he and his family found hope for the future. “I can’t imagine living with PH without all the help from PHA.,” he says. Tyler, the face of PHA’s 30th anniversary fall fundraising campaign, encourages the PH community to help PHA continue providing support, education and research.
With great sadness, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association announces the death of Rino Aldrighetti, who led PHA for nearly two decades. Rino, who died May 30, was the first PHA employee, hired in 1999 as part-time executive director. He soon became full-time and later was promoted to president and CEO. He retired in 2016.
Ivan Robbins, M.D., of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, shares how PH treatment and research have evolved over the course of his career. His story originally appeared in the award-winning December 2020 issue of Pathlight magazine.
Elise Zwicky’s greatest fear at diagnosis was that she wouldn’t see her children grow up. More than 20 years later, she has hope that she and her husband will grow old together, watching their grandchild grow up.
Stuart Rich, M.D., was a cardiology fellow at the University of Chicago in 1978 when he began treating pulmonary hypertension (PH). Now retired from Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Dr. Rich has seen many changes with PH treatment and awareness. He’s also had many memorable experiences.
The past 23 years have shown Dawn Meador how strong she is. Since her 1998 diagnosis, she’s learned much about herself and how to appreciate little things. Dawn, of Suffolk, Virginia, shares her long-time pulmonary hypertension journey for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association’s 30th anniversary.
Terry and Tom McGraw are among the families who have lived with pulmonary hypertension (PH) for many years – in their case, decades. In the early 1990s, when Terry was diagnosed, little information was available about PH, and the McGraws didn’t find the fledgling Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) for about five years. Initially, they got involved to find answers and eventually became volunteers and fundraisers. The McGraws initially shared their story with Pathlight, PHA’s member magazine, in connection with PHA’s 30th anniversary.
Alex Flipse was a young mom when she was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. She first noticed symptoms in 1998: She frequently felt fatigued but attributed it to chasing two toddlers while six months pregnant. Alex of Teceluma, California, originally shared her story in Pathlight magazine.
When Donna Head was diagnosed in 1988, there were no pulmonary hypertension medications. She had to undergo a right heart catheterization every six weeks to make sure her calcium channel blockers were still working.
Gwendolyn Brown has lived with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) for more than 40 years. She has survived a heart attack, three strokes and 11 mini strokes. She leads the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA)’s Cleveland Community Support Group and is a minister at Zion Pentecostal Church of Christ.
