Punta Gordo,
Florida
As State Captain I hope to encourage airlines to streamline the forms necessary to fly with oxygen. Every airline has had a different required form to fly. Southwest has just made this requirement unnecessary. Others need to follow so people with COPD can travel. We also need to make the state laws more uniform fro being able to have infusions. They are all different.
My proudest COPD moment was receiving the Dennis Pollack Award for advocacy at the local, state, and national levels in June 2013 at the National Alpha-1 Conference.
Some of my advocacy work includes, being an Alpha-1 Support Group Leader for five years, I train pharmaceutical reps, participate in ride alongs to pulmonologist offices, attended 8 Alpha-1 National Conferences, obtained a New York Alpha-1 Proclamation, advocated in Washington, DC for respiratory therapists, attended Alpha-1 Education Days, spoken at respiratory conferences, spoken at respiratory conferences, educated people about oxygen use, participated in the George Washington Bridge Walk for Alpha-1, Celtic Connection for Alpha-1, Federal level meeting about Alpha-1,k shared brother/sister Alpha-1 journey, teamed with the American Lung Association, and spoken to several Better Breather Groups and Pulmonary Health Fairs. I have been with State Representative Johns and State Senator Nizzolio along with Federal Drug Administration officials in Washington, DC.
My inspiration to share is “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away.”