Thanks Debbie...and Charlotte and Robert and Jeanette, Dave & Lisa

On Friday, I was flying back from my second trip to California in two weeks.  I missed our Friday staff meeting and Debbie missed commenting during the Testimonials agenda item that opens all our meetings.  The note she sent to all our staff becomes today's blog.

Here at PHA we hear about and see so much that people do in the fight against PH.  The items Debbie told us about in her note offer a recent snapshot of the activity that inspires our work.

Thanks Debbie. I'm glad to share your post...

When it came to testimonials and memorials today, I was quiet (for once!) I’ve been so caught up with web work, that I completely forgot about these amazing stories!

I wrote them up, apologies for typos. And ENJOY!


- Debbie

INSPIRING QUOTE


[starting up the Puyallup Support Group,] was a rocky start Debbie, and all in all, it’s been a great and very productive year. I’ve learned a lot about who I am as I live with PH, and that I can still do what I love to do…be a leader, a teacher, and promote health and wellness. Thank you and Deb Martin for asking me to do this. I said ‘yes’, and got my life back. Bless you both.


--Charlotte McCabe, Puyallup Leader

Robert Ngo Educates 100 pre-med students


PH patient, Robert Ngo graduated at Western University of Health Sciences in Southern California and became a pharmacist but went “back to school” for Awareness Month! On November 16, he’s promoting PH medical education as a special guest lecturer for a lunchtime series drawing 100 future health care providers at his alma matter.


In addition, Robert is inspiring to other patients as he is an avid SCUBA diver, marathoner and overall athlete. In spite his PH, he is able to participate in the “IronMan 70.3” in Orlando, Florida on May of 2010!


If you didn’t know, an Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races consisting of a 2.4 miles swim, a 112 miles bike ride, and a marathon (26 mile run) raced in that order and without a break…

MASS EDUCATION OF ALL EMS TECHS IN MAINE!


Every EMS technician and first responder in the state of Maine knows about PH!


…well those who read the “Journal of Maine EMS”… thanks to a patient advocates and caregivers. Jeanette Morrill and husband caregiver Dave, worked with writers of the Journal to get PH medical information published in this quarterly newsletter distributed to the Maine Emergency Nurses Association, the Regional EMS Councils, Maine Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, Maine Committee on Trauma, Maine Ambulance Association and Maine EMS, and virtually to all EMS personnel in the state.


According to Jeanette, EMTs in the state are most likely to read and study the journal because they can get recertification credits. She believes that the main reason the EMS journal published their story was because of PH caregiver and advocate Lisa Sessions, who secured a PH Awareness Month proclamation by the Governor of Maine.


Cheers to Jeanette, Dave, Lisa and for PHA Medical Services and Advocacy and Awareness for this victory.


Here are the PHA resources of which the journal writers utilized, in writing their article:


References:


• Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month Proclamation, John E. Baldacci, Governor, State of Maine, July 9,2009 .


• Emergency 101 Information for Emergency Medical Providers, Pulmonary Hypertension Association.


• Pulmonary Hypertension, A Patient's Survival Guide, 3rd edition, Gail Boyer Hayes, Pulmonary Hypertension Association, 2004.


• Pulmonary Hypertension Association website: wwwPHAssociation.org