Why I Walk

All I heard the Doctor say during my yearly physical was I had been diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. He told me “there was no cure and I should go home and get my affairs in order, I only had two years or less to live”!

Instead of preparing to die, I decided to take things into my own hands and come up with a program that might stabilize my health.

I moved to Florida to breathe the moist, salty air. I started walking 5 miles a day, meditating to relieve stress, and practicing pulmonary rehabilitation. The efforts of these life changes has helped me remain primarily stable with little to no disease progression.

During this time, I have become an Ambassador for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation and I’m hoping that I can help open up doors for a cure to this terrible disease. I am doing this walk to raise money for research so that my friends and family don’t hear the same diagnosis I heard, three years ago. My theme song for my walk is 'I Won't Back Down' by Tom Petty.

My efforts to give back to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation is something that I’m very proud to do. This organization has given me many reasons to fight this disease and enjoy what years I have left with my friends and family.