Together toward a cure for pulmonary fibrosis
Your donation gets us one step closer to our goal
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On August 8th, 2025, my youngest brother Steve passed away from Pulmonary Fibrosis. Looking back at the texts and emails we exchanged, from the time he first got his diagnosis, to going on oxygen, to realizing how short his time was, it progressed shockingly fast, and all the best efforts of medical professionals and family couldn't stop it. Steve leaves behind our other brother, our beloved sister in law, their two young adult children to whom he was a live-in uncle for many years, and too many friends and other loved ones to list.
We've been processing our shock and grief. Close family and one friend got to be with him at the end, during which he cracked jokes and told us all how much he loved us. That was more grace than we could have hoped for. But now he's gone. Meanwhile, here I sit, a veteran of numerous charity events for people living with HIV and AIDS, thinking "Well, I know what to do now. Time to connect with organizations serving people living with this disease or caring for loved ones with it, and try to make a difference."
On three different occasions I parked my butt on a bike seat for 7 days and rode with thousands of others on the AIDS LifeCycle event between San Francisco and Los Angeles, sleeping in tents overnight, sore and exhausted and very, VERY proud to be fighting back against something terrible. That's leaving aside several other one, two, or three day events at home in the Boston area, or with friends I met through charity cycling in their home states. I know how to put in the work. We have to believe that somehow, what we do can make a difference. I came of age at the very worst years of the HIV epidemic. Back then it was always a death sentence. Now it's not. I now have friends my age who have LIVED with HIV for twenty, thirty, or forty years, rather than dying from it. Many of them are absolutely thriving. I want the same, or better, for people who get a diagnosis of PF or related conditions. I want that for their loved ones.
I am proud to be fundraising for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) as we walk together toward a cure for pulmonary fibrosis (PF) at the PFF Walk 2025. Join me in supporting this vital cause by donating to my fundraising efforts.
The PFF Walk supports the Foundation’s efforts to accelerate research, advance improved care for those living with the disease, and provide unequaled support and education resources for patients, caregivers, family members, and healthcare providers.
Your gift will power progress, and I appreciate your generosity in supporting a cause that is important to me!
For more information on how your gift will make a difference in the lives of PF patients and their families, please visit pulmonaryfibrosis.org.
I am grateful for your support as we walk together toward a cure.
