Celebrating Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month

Floor Speech

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join those celebrating the month of November as Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month and to thank the Pulmonary Hypertension Association for its work in furthering understanding of this life-changing disease.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a chronic, complex, and life-threatening lung disease marked by elevated blood pressure in the lungs. The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is a nonprofit organization that seeks ways to prevent and cure pulmonary hypertension and to provide hope for the PH community through support, education, advocacy and awareness. I am particularly proud of the work that the PHA Midwest Chapter is doing to provide support for people living with pulmonary hypertension and those who care for them. Their efforts to raise awareness and push for research into improved treatments and, ultimately, a cure are critical.

PHA is a young organization that is changing the history of this illness. From simple beginnings--four women around a kitchen table in Florida in 1990--PHA has evolved in size and complexity. When the association was founded, there were no support groups to help individuals and caregivers cope with this disease. Today, PHA serves more than 13,000 members and supporters with over 245 support groups that provide knowledge, support, hope and empowerment for the PH community. PHA continues to work every day to find a cure for pulmonary hypertension and believes that no one should face this disease alone.
On November 22, PHA Midwest and the PH community will mark Pulmonary Hypertension Month by hosting the inaugural O2 breathe Hearts PHor Hope Gala. The gala is an opportunity both to focus attention and to recognize the accomplishments and advances made in the PH field, while honoring those who made these advances possible. This special evening will honor Stuart Rich, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine with the 2014 Heart PHor Hope Legacy Award. A dedicated researcher, passionate physician and continuous supporter of PHA, Dr. Rich has been a groundbreaking leader in the pulmonary hypertension field for more than three decades and continues to show his dedication and support of the PH community.

The PHA Midwest Chapter is a valuable resource, and I am grateful for the job that it is doing to raise awareness through next week's gala and the annual marathon, to provide assistance, and to push for greater research and medical breakthroughs.

Source