As leader of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association’s Dayton, Ohio, support group, Mary Hale ends every meeting with the comforting words, “We are stronger together.”
“We’re fighting this together,” says Mary, of Medway, Ohio. “No one stands alone, despite how lonely this disease feels. Everyone comes from different walks of life, but we’re all connected through PH. It’s so important, especially on those bad days when it’s hard to accept the truth, to know you have someone by your side.”
Mary tweaked her closing message as an entry for the PHA 2024 theme contest. About 70 people submitted entries for the contest, with Hale’s “Stronger Together” emerging as the winning theme. PHA 2024 International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions is set for Aug. 15-18, 2024, in Indianapolis.
Hale says the idea came from the support she has shared and received through the PHA community since her 2010 diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.
“When we come together, it’s so comforting,” Mary says. “There’s no right or wrong answer, but we go through all the changes in our bodies, in our medicine routines, everything together. We share what works and what doesn’t and it’s so uplifting to know people get it.”
PHA will share more about Mary in the Fall issue of Pathlight, PHA’s quarterly member magazine, which will be published in September. Join or renew to access content just for Pathlight subscribers.
