NOVEMBER IS PULMONARY HYPERTENSION AWARENESS MONTH

WNBA Basketball Star, Young Girl Speak Out About The Deadly Lung Disease

Background

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension or PAH is a rare and deadly lung disease that strikes without warning. The chronic disease has a poor survival rate, and the symptoms of PAH include shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain or even fainting. Since its symptoms may mimic other conditions, there may be thousands of individuals with the disease who have not yet been diagnosed. Over 100,000 people in the United States are known to suffer with pulmonary hypertension.

Treatments including oxygen and more recently a drug, TracleerŪ, have helped patients like 15-year old Sara Galligan survive and live normal lives. Recently, Sara had a dream come true when she took to the basketball court with the WNBA's Debbie Black who is a spokesperson for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, a non-profit support group made up of patients, family members and physicians. For more information, visit www.phassociation.org.

Soundbites

• Debbie Black, WNBA player, the Connecticut Sun
• Dunbar Ivy, MD, Chief Of Cardiology at The Children's Hospital, Denver, CO
• Sara Galligan, Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Patient
• Dennis Galligan, Sara's Father

VIDEO PROVIDED BY: THE PULMONARY HYPERTENSION ASSOCIATION