Audra Armstrong of Forney, Texas, served on the welcome committee for PHA 2026 International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions in Dallas. Armstrong, 55, was a caregiver for her mom, Patricia Reeves Sneed, who was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2016 and died a year later. Armstrong shared her story in the June issue of Pathlight, PHA’s member magazine.
I am looking forward to meeting new people and hopefully making connections at PHA 2026 – my first PHA conference. As a member of the welcome committee, I hope to make an impact on those I come in contact with. I feel that every interaction deserves to make an impact, and that interaction should always be memorable, valuable and personable (MVP).
Being a part of the welcome committee is just a small way to be there for others to ensure they have a fantastic conference. I also will be speaking on behalf of the caregiver perspective during one of the conference sessions.
Providing support
I enjoy giving back to others so I joined PHA’s Dallas Support Group in 2018. I wanted to support other caregivers after my mom lost her battle with PH. In a weird way, the support group makes me feel close to my mom. Her diagnosis was so sudden, and she lost her battle in less than a year.
In the support group, I have learned so much about this disease that it makes me want to help find a cure for others and support other caregivers in this journey. Since joining the support group, I started attending the Dallas Zebra PHest O2breathe Walk, which honors those we have lost. I enjoy the community, the emphasis on remembrance and the ongoing fight for a cure.
In addition to my volunteer work for PHA, I am very involved in my church. I serve as my church’s intake administrator and work with our church school ministry, youth ministry, music ministry and outreach ministry.
I love to volunteer at various homeless shelters, food banks and our downtown homeless community to serve the less fortunate. I’m also an election judge in Kaufman County, Texas.
If you’re coming to PHA 2026, look for me at the Wall of Hope and Remembrance. I hope Dallas makes a great impression on you. We have a lot of fun things planned. We also have great food in Dallas-Fort Worth and awesome attractions near the conference. Hopefully the attendees get to check out our Texas BBQ, Tex-Mex and other cuisines, as well as our shopping venues. We have something for everyone all over Dallas-Fort Worth!
