In memory of my Mom, my Hero, my Angel
No one teaches you in life about the loss of a parent and how it changes your life forever. My mother, Violet, passed away on March 6, 2009 from Pulmonary Fibrosis, a horrible lung disease that literally takes your breath away.
My family and I witnessed this crippling disease as my mother, who had so much energy and strength, that she could outlast even the younger members of her family, deteriorated quickly. She experienced shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing when walking only a few steps, rapid weight loss, and total weakness. This all resulted in the constant use of oxygen to help her live. My mother never smoked a day in her life.
Pulmonary Fibrosis is a disease which is often misdiagnosed, has NO cure, and is ALWAYS terminal. The “average” survival rate is 3-5 years after diagnosis. This lung disorder is characterized by progressive scarring and deterioration of the lungs which robs its victims of their ability to breathe. More than 200,000 people live with pulmonary fibrosis and 50,000 lives are taken each year from this disease, the same number as breast cancer.
My family & I will join the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation as "Team Violet Rippy" every year at the PFF Walk - Pittsburgh in my mother's honor. We walk in hope that a treatment, or ultimately a cure for this disease can be found. Since this disease is so often misdiagnosed, as my mother’s was, and barely known by the general public, funding for research and awareness is so desperately needed.
Please support my family & I with this mission by participating in the PFF Walk on Saturday, June 21, or by making a donation so we can give people with Pulmonary Fibrosis an opportunity to survive beyond the present window that exists.
My mother was so strong in her fight to live each and every day, and I, along with your help, hope to carry on her strength to others with this lung disorder.
Thank you,
Tami Rippy
Love you, Mom....miss you every second of the day.
Donations can also be mailed to:
Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
Attention: Team Violet Rippy
223 W. Jackson Blvd.; Suite 350
Chicago, Illinois 60606
*Please indicate in the memo that this gift should be directed to Team Violet Rippy.
