The Pulmonary Hypertension Association recognizes the long-term love between Georgette and Dean Bridger in our end-of-year fund raising campaign. Join them in making a gift to give all families affected by pulmonary hypertension hope for the holidays.
“As Dean’s illness progresses, living each and every day is precious. We don’t take it for granted.” Georgette Bridger and her husband of 27 years, Dean, live in Suffolk, Virginia. Together they have four children and a dog Annabell. Dean was diagnosed with scleroderma in 1997 and pulmonary arterial hypertension in
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.
Ellie Estes celebrated her seventh birthday by raising money for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association through a drive-by and online lemonade stand. Ellie, who has idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, raised more than $7,800, and donations are still coming in.
John and Sandy Awood were planning a big bucket list trip in 2007: An excursion to Egypt with a boat trip up the Nile to see historical sites along the way. Later that year, they canceled the trip after Sandy was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension. John remembers his wife’s fighting spirit by supporting the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.
Terry and Tom McGraw initially joined the fledging Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) to find answers. Thirty years later, they’re entrenched in the pulmonary hypertension community as longtime volunteers and fundraisers. Discover their story as part of PHA’s 30th anniversary.
When Monica Penaranda was diagnosed with PH, she was 16 years old. Thanks to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA), she found resources to survive and thrive for the past 23 years. “PHA provided the hope I needed to get through the tough days,” she says. Monica, the face of PHA’s 30th anniversary spring fundraising campaign, encourages the PH community to help PHA continue providing support, education and research.
Monica Penaranda didn’t let a pulmonary hypertension (PH) diagnosis stop her from living her best life. She recently shared her 23-year PH journey as part of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA)’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Monica reflects on how PHA’s research and patient support programs helped her transform her life.
Monica Penaranda thought her life was shattered when a pulmonary hypertension (PH) diagnosis ended her days of cheerleading, track and varsity softball. Instead, she reconfigured her life goals. Twenty-three years later, Monica, a member of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) Board of Trustees, is the face of PHA’s spring fundraising campaign.
Two years ago, Gary Atkinson created a fundraising team for the Boston O2breathe Walk to honor his daughter’s memory. Gary, a former resident of West Townsend, Massachusetts, named the team “Because of Sarah” for his daughter, who was born with pulmonary hypertension and died almost 21 years ago at age 18.
