American Lung Association - Fighting for Air

Meet Breelynn Spikes

Bree was diagnosed with asthma at 8 months old after countless visits to cardiologists, pulmonologists, the pediatrician. She had MRIs of her head and had several sinus surgeries and wash outs. Over the past year, Bree was visiting her pediatrician at least once a week and using her rescue inhaler a couple times a week. She has had several ear and sinus infections leading to tube placements more than once. Bree turned 2 this past February and, per her mom Candise, she's "better." She sees the doctor about every other week, and only has to use her rescue inhaler a few times a month. She is on daily nebulizers inhalers.  You would never know how sick this little girl by just looking at her. She is always smiling, laughing, and playing. She is one of the sweetest little girls I have ever met. (Jennifer Taylor, ALA Event Committee and Volunteer)

Meet Callie Thompson, Miss Austin 2012

Callie was diagnosed with asthma at the age of 2, and doesn’t remember life without struggling to breathe. 4 out of 5 people in Callie’s family also suffer from asthma, including her brother. There were over a dozen times throughout her childhood that she was hospitalized, and a handle of times where she and her brother were both admitted. As a child, Callie was scared by her condition because she didn’t understand or know how to manage it. She missed many schools days as a result. As Miss Austin 2012, Callie’s platform is Living Without Limitations. She wants to spread the message that you can do anything and live without limits once you come to understand and manage asthma. Callie joined the fight for air with the American Lung Association as our Asthma Ambassador to spread her message and teach the community about ALA programs such as Open Airways for Schools and Asthma Educator Institute - programs that help teachers, coaches, and children understand and manage asthma.

Meet Ronny Glenn

My dad, Ronny Glenn, aka G.O.D., (Good Old Dad) is my hero!  He served his country in the Air Force and was always there for me as a single father. G.O.D taught me important values and used to say, “Kid, you will fall down but more importantly you get back up and continue on”.  My husband became the son my dad never had and those two made up for lost time during their 13 years together.  G.O.D was diagnosed with Small Cell Lung Cancer several months after retiring.  After working all those years, he had plans to travel the world. The news came as a shock; we thought he was only having a difficult time over coming pneumonia. 

Meet Gary Pennington

My Dad. He spent his life in the oil field. He spent his life providing for his family; his wife, son and two daughters. He tried to give us everything. He was a stern man but he loved life. He was always the life of any gathering - full of love for his kids and grandkids. Then that pillar of strength got sick. He collapsed while on a rig and rushed to the hospital where he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. That was August 18, 2006. The next couple of months were a nightmare. was admitted to MD Anderson, a name you should never have to speak. That's where he stayed fighting for his life - a battle he lost on October 8, 2006. After the painful decision to respect his wishes we prepared the family to gather around him and let him slip away to join God. Even knowing he had all the faith in God and knowing he would no longer suffer we were all broken hearted. I lost my dad. 

Meet Diane Shaw

Diane was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer on Friday, October 13, 2000. In the years before her diagnosis, she suffered immeasurable losses. In 1995, her youngest son Joe was killed in a fire. In 1997, her Mother Virginia was diagnosed with and died from lung cancer. In 1999, her husband Murray was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Shortly after Diane's diagnosis, Murray was struck by a car as he was walking into a store to shop for her birthday present. Two months later, her husband of 45 years lost his battle. In March of 2001, Diane's doctors realized she was in remission. Since that time, Diane has had a lobectomy, surgery to remove a small portion of her other lung, and two rounds of radiation. She has also been here to watch her grandchildren grow, see her daughter get married, enjoy the birth of another grandchild, and LIVE.

Meet Dr. Renee Simar

Dr. Simar was diagnosed with two lung conditions in 2010. Prior to her illnesses, she led a non-smoking, healthy, and active life. She began having repeated bouts of pneumonia, shortness of breath and fatigue in 2009. One of her conditions is bronchiectasis, an uncommon disease in people without other risk factors for lung disease. Bronchiectasis often causes symptoms similar to COPD and asthma—coughing, increased lung secretions, trouble with breathing, and frequent lung infections. Her other lung disease is a rare infection caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Although the name is similar to the more common tuberculosis (TB), the diagnosis and treatment of the two diseases are quite different. Currently, there are no drugs approved to treat NTM and the medicines to manage it can cause serious side effects, requiring monthly lab work.

Renee recently completed two years of NTM treatment with high doses of antibiotics and other medicines. She is now in remission from NTM. She is managing her bronchiectasis with a daily regimen of medicines and exercises. And she is breathing better!  Unfortunately, the causes of pulmonary NTM and bronchiectasis are not fully understood. More research is needed to develop better medicines. Renee works with ALA to educate about these uncommon conditions and bring awareness to the need for research funding. 

Meet Barbara McClinton

My mother was diagnosed with COPD in 1993.  She immediately quit smoking, but it was too late. Her lung condition has deteriorated considerably since then, and she is now on oxygen 24 hours a day. Her golden retirement years are spent mostly homebound, because any amount of exertion and the various environmental conditions in Texas (humidity, heat, mold, pollens) causes her shortness of breath.

Mom was an airline stewardess and enjoyed traveling, and she wished to travel again once she retired.  Unfortunately, she’s not able to do so. I’ve asked mom what, out of all the decisions she had made in her life, would she have done differently. Without any hesitation, she said, “I would have never started smoking.”

Mom is still trying to live her life as fully as she can, but even with oxygen and the thousands of dollars of medications, she can’t do many of the things that would bring her joy.  I have joined the Fight for Air Climb to support the American Lung Association and help educate about the dangers of smoking, and to raise awareness for COPD and other lung diseases. – Lee McClinton, 2013 Climb Participant

Meet Jacqueline

My sister Jacqueline, or Pee-Wee, was diagnosed with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in 2004 after suffering a seizure in ballet class. She was given a large pharmaceutical regimen and able to return to work, travel and dance for a short period of time. After 3 years of Flolan and Revatio, Jackie’s breathing became increasingly labored and she was placed on the organ transplant waiting list. In April 2008, Jackie received new lungs at the UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco, CA. Upon discharge, she embraced her second chance and decided to live life! On her one year anniversary of receiving lungs, Jackie performed at a ballet recital in San Francisco and celebrated with friends and family.

In 2009, she decided to leave San Francisco to travel. She landed first in Berlin, and soon departed for Costa Rica. Jackie then ventured south to Argentina before moving to Spain in 2010. She returned to Berlin a year later and began having continuous flu-like symptoms. She moved to Switzerland with her husband in 2012, where she visited the local hospital and began tests. Her activities declined and soon she was home bound.

In March of 2012, Jackie returned to San Francisco, where I met her for the week and noticed her health declining. She was short of breath even when showering, and it was exhausting for her to get dressed. Organ rejection was confirmed on her return from the states.  On July 4th, she was placed on the organ wait list. I visited her mid-July when a pic line was place in her stomach for tube feedings.  It was too exhausting for her to eat and digest.  She no longer had the energy to thrive on her own.

Jackie was discharged from the hospital in October and transferred to a pulmonary rehabilitation center for 2-3 weeks. It was decided to send her home with a home nurse 5 days a week. Sadly, the home health care along with the assistance of her husband was too much. After 2 weeks, Jacqueline returned to the hospital to wait for lungs.

On Thanksgiving Day, I was able to Skype with her. Three days later, she was placed in a medically induced coma. Christmas passed and she was still intubated.  It is very risky to keep one sedated for so long, compounded by the fact that she was placed on an ECMO machine to clean her blood. Jackie stayed on the ECMO until she received lungs on January 7, 2013. Recovery after the 12 hour surgery has been slow and cautiously promising. Since the surgery, there has been good eye contact and non-verbal communication.

Although recovery is at a snail's pace, we are grateful that Jackie has the opportunity to breathe again.

I hope that after reading this you will understand why we are called Team Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. Pee-Wee has been on a big adventure and we are honored to climb on her behalf. (Jennifer Kirk Boucher, 2013 Team Captain of Team Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure)

Meet Lothar Bohnisch

“My Father was diagnosed Non-Small Cell Adenocarcinoma Lung Cancer in September of 2008. His prognosis was not good, as his cancer had spread to both lungs. It was inoperable, and he was given 6 months to live with a 5% survival rate over 3 years. This didn’t discourage him one bit, and he started setting life goals for himself for the next 2 years. All the doctors and nurses were astonished by his strength and the success with his chemo.

It never ceased to amaze me that no matter how difficult it was for my father to undergo chemotherapy for over 3 years, he always carried about his day doing things he loved. At the beginning of his treatment he would have his Chemo treatments on a Thursday, and then drive to Austin right after to spend time with us like it was any old visit. Besides his hair loss you would never even know! He truly was an amazing person before his diagnosis and after he never let it stop him.

Although my father lost his battle to lung cancer on June 16, 2012; he did beat the odds! HE WAS THE 5% THAT HAD MADE IT! I am so thankful that we moved to Houston and I was able to be with him during the last year and a half. There is not one day that goes by that I don’t tell our son, who was born 3 months after he went to heaven, what a great man his Opa was. We often talk about his life and all the things he taught me as a little girl. We look at pictures daily on the mantle and continue to keep him alive in our hearts!

My son and I will be driving to Austin to support this amazing event to help raise Lung Cancer Awareness. We will also be cheering on our friends who are climbing in memory of my father.”

-Vanessa Loftus