Silver Spring, Md. (March 1, 2017) – Partnering with patients and their personal and professional caregivers, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) kicks off its 2017 National O2 breathe™ special events season to raise funds and awareness to fight an often misdiagnosed and misunderstood deadly disease. The 2017 season begins with the 2nd Annual PHA O2 breathe™ Chicago Trivia Night on March 18 and the PHA Northern California O2 breathe™ Walk on March 25.
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is characterized by increased pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs, which can lead to death from right-heart failure and affects infants, children and adults of all races and ethnic backgrounds. Common PH symptoms are non-specific and can include shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain. Consequently, this complex disease is often misdiagnosed — for example, as asthma — leading to delays in proper treatment and costing patients valuable time. With early and accurate diagnosis, PH treatments can extend and improve the quality of life for many people living with the disease. While most forms of PH are incurable, CTEPH patients may be eligible for a surgical procedure to remove a major cause of the increased pressure, the chronic blood clots present in the lungs.
PHA’s National O2 breathe events include walks, runs, galas, golf tournaments, endurance events, game nights and other fundraisers. Sponsors for PHA’s 2017 national O2 breathe™ fundraisers are Actelion (platinum); Gilead (platinum); United Therapeutics (sliver); and Bayer Healthcare (bronze). PHA relies on charitable donations to fund its education and support programs for patients and their personal and professional caregivers and researchers looking for causes and cures for this complex disease. The heart of the PH community for more than 25 years, PHA is the only national nonprofit providing support and educational resources for patients, families, caregivers and health care professionals who specialize in caring for people with the disease and PH researchers. PHA’s PH Care Center (PHCC) accreditation program and patient registry are making contributions to improving patient care, and PHA’s public service campaigns are helping to raise more awareness and educate the public about the disease.
PHA O2 breathe Chicago Trivia Night
Tracy Kuntzman and Rhonda Kuntzman and other members of their family are leading the volunteer effort to host the PHA O2 breathe Chicago Trivia event for the second consecutive year. The Kuntzman sisters’ mother, Carol Kuntzman, was diagnosed with PH in 2014. The event takes place at the Teamsters Auditorium Building at 328 S. Marshfield Ave. in Chicago. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person or $200 for teams of ten. Teams work together to answer eight rounds of 10 trivia questions from a variety of topic categories. Guests bring their own food and beverages to the event. For more information and to buy tickets, volunteer or make a donation, please go to www.crowdwise.com/2017PHAChicagoTriviaNight.
PHA Northern California O2 breathe Walk
The one-mile PHA Northern California O2 breathe Walk takes place on March 25, at Crissy Field on Old Mason Street in San Francisco. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. The opening ceremony gets underway at 9:30 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m. There is no cost to attend the Northern California O2 breathe Walk, but PHA asks all attendees to raise funds or make a personal donation. Attendees who raise $100 or more will receive a PHA O2 breathe t-shirt. For more information about the walk or to volunteer or make a donation, please go to https://www.crowdrise.com/NorCalO2breathe17.
In addition to raising funds through its National O2 breathe™ fundraising events, PHA partners with volunteers who host fundraisers as part of the PHA Grassroots Events Across America Fund, which is supported by community grants underwritten by Actelion and United Therapeutics. PHA’s Events Calendar, includes information on national O2 breathe events, Grassroots Events Across America fundraisers and independently-hosted local PHA fundraisers. PHA is always looking for individual and corporate team participants, volunteers and donors. Please contact BrittaniH@PHAssociation.org if you’d like to join PHA’s national events community.
About the Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Headquartered in Silver Spring, Md., the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is the country’s leading pulmonary hypertension organization. PHA’s mission is to extend and improve the lives of those affected by PH; its vision is a world without PH, empowered by hope. PHA achieves this by connecting and working together with the entire PH community of patients, families; health care professionals and researchers. For more information and to learn how you can support PH patients, visit www.PHAssociation.org and connect with PHA on Twitter and Instagram @PHAssociation and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PulmonaryHypertensionAssociation.
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Carol Kuntzman was diagnosed with PH in 2014. Her daughters will help kick off the 2017 PHA O2 breathe Season with PHA O2 breathe Chicago Trivia Night.
