Alena’s journey transcends ordinary resilience. After battling pulmonary hypertension for a decade, surviving two double lung transplants, and undergoing over 200 photopheresis sessions, she now embraces life with just 34% lung function—yet lives it fully. Her story bridges cultures, identities, and the profound gift of donated organs. As she marks 11 years since her first […]
Lot is a vibrant young woman with an incredibly positive outlook on life, despite the fact that her daily routine is heavily influenced by her health. Born with a congenital heart defect, Lot was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) at just six years old. Reflecting on her wait for donor lungs, Lot shares: “About
Anne-Marie Amilhat, a 73-year-old woman from France, received a diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension in 1980 and underwent heart/lung transplant surgery in 1988. Recently, she joyously marked her 35th transplant anniversary surrounded by family and friends. The celebration was graced by the presence of Prof. Philippe Dartevelle, a thoracic surgeon at Marie Lannelongue Hospital, France,
Micheal Garrett is a pulmonary hypertension caregiver from Humble in Texas, USA. He is a caregiver for his wife, who is 42, and was diagnosed in December 2017 with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Along with her pulmonary arterial hypertension diagnosis, she was also diagnosed with Lupus. She is on intravenous therapy with Veletri (epoprostenol). Michael started
Author: Pisana Ferrari, May 25, 2023, based on interview Introduction In the past few decades, significant strides have been made in the field of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), encompassing enhanced disease comprehension, innovative therapies and surgical advancements. However, living with CTEPH continues to pose physical, practical, emotional, and social challenges for patients, families, and
Gabriele, a 47-year-old Italian national residing in Brescia, bravely opens up about his personal journey with Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH), aiming to raise crucial awareness within the pulmonary hypertension community. By sharing his experience, he hopes to shed light on this condition and its impact, offering support and insights to those who may be
From left: Monica, 12 years post double lung transplant; Pisana, 21 years; Samantha, 19 years; Meri, 18 years; Alessandro, 20 years; Veronica, 19 years. In the middle stands Erna, a remarkable woman who provided unwavering support to us and our families during our time in Vienna, both before and after our life-changing surgeries. All of
http://www.phocusonlifestyle.org is the “sister” website to that of the UK Pulmonary Hypertension, PHA UK. It is aimed at patients and peers supporting each other through stories. It also houses written resources covering a very wide range of issues related to living with pulmonary hypertension including:
Samantha Ciurlini’s journey with pulmonary arterial hypertension began in 2005 when she received her diagnosis. Twelve years ago, she underwent a life-changing double lung transplant surgery at the renowned Vienna General Hospital (AKH). Prior to her diagnosis, Samantha had a passion for volleyball and even played at a semi-professional level. Despite the challenges she faced,
Noriko Murakami is the President of PHA Japan and the mother of Yukiko, a young PH patient who had a lung transplant surgery from a live donor. The PAHSSc is grateful to Mrs. Noriko Murakami for having agreed to contribute to its magazine Nefes (The Breath ) with insights on lung transplantation from a live
On the occasion of the 2022 edition of the Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Day, on May 5, HTaPFrance released a short film titled “Regards croisés”, which presents three people who currently have or have had epoprostenol treatment intravenously, using a pump and a centralised catheter. They share their experience with the pump in day to day
