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
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
