More than 500 people impacted by pulmonary fibrosis gathered in Riverside Park on Saturday, April 27, for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s annual PFF Walk. The Walk raises money and awareness to fight the debilitating lung disease, which causes progressive scarring in the lungs. There is currently no cure for pulmonary fibrosis, which affects more than 200,000 Americans annually. Fifty-thousand new cases are diagnosed every year.
Sisi Suarez, of Jackson Heights, lost her mother, Ines Conde, and all five of her mother’s siblings to pulmonary fibrosis. Suarez and 31 family members did the Walk as “Team Tisalema Pebbles.” They raised $5,234, more than double their goal of $2,000, to support programs for individuals living with pulmonary fibrosis and to help fund research projects. “I walked for my mom,” said Suarez. “Pulmonary fibrosis is lethal but people don’t know about it and that’s scary. My mother would be proud of us for raising awareness to try to help find a cure.”
For information about pulmonary fibrosis, please visit pulmonaryfibrosis.org.
