For a night of fun and philanthropy, CHEST leadership and supporters of the CHEST Foundation came together in New York City to watch the Belmont Stakes race and raise money to support patient education.
What started 8 years ago as a brunch in the living room of Doreen Addrizzo-Harris, MD, FCCP, to support the initiatives of the CHEST Foundation.
Courtesy CHEST
CHEST member Bravein Amalakuhan, MD, FCCP, and his wife, Megan Cool Amalakuhan, show off their winning raffle number.
Spearheaded by Dr. Addrizzo- Harris, President-Elect of the American College of Chest Physicians, this year’s event was focused entirely on patient education and advocacy. The attendees heard the moving stories of Betsy Glaeser and Fred Schick who are both patients living with lung disease and advocates for others living with like afflictions. Betsy is living with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) disease and Fred with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Betsy and Fred have used their experiences to serve as support for others in similar positions.
Betsy Glaeser, a longtime patient of Dr. Addrizzo-Harris, shared a story about the struggle of being one of the first cases of NTM bronchiectasis and helping to define the course of action. She shared that her original doctors gave her 5 years to live. The room erupted in applause when she shared that with the exceptional treatment she’s received, over 20 years later, she is standing in front of the supporters of the CHEST Foundation to share her story.
Because of the rarity of her disease, she was hospitalized multiple times with pneumonia before finally reaching her diagnosis of NTM disease. She channeled the accompanying frustrations into helping others who were recently diagnosed with the NTM disorder by sharing her experiences. “I would give them guidance on treatment options because in my years of living with the disease, I’d been there and tried almost everything,” said Betsy. “I would get calls from my doctor all of the time to speak with someone who just received an NTM disease diagnosis. I was happy to do so – at the time, the Internet didn’t exist, and firsthand experiences were all we had. Since forming our physical support group, the most memorable experience I can recall is when a woman, newly diagnosed with NTM, walked into the room and immediately burst into tears. She shared that she expected to see all of us on oxygen and wheelchair-bound, but that wasn’t the case at all. That day, we were able to give her hope. That’s why I do what I do, and I’m proud to do it.”
Fred Schick shared with the attendees his story of struggling to find his IPF diagnosis and how incredibly frustrating it was to be so short of breath that he needed to be rescued from the water while on vacation. With a history of cardiac complications, Fred’s doctors were looking at his heart.
For Fred to get to his IPF diagnosis, it took the careful ear of a primary care doctor Fred started to see when his previous doctor retired.
“It was almost like she was listening with different ears and was hearing what others didn’t. Once she recommended speaking with a pulmonologist, everything fell into place,” said Fred. “From my experience, IPF is best treated by a lot of pieces coming together and working together. It takes the dedication of a care team in the hospital, proper diet and exercise and, just as importantly, it takes a support group to guide you through the process. I’m grateful to my care team, but I’m equally thankful for the work I get to do as an advocate for others living with IPF.”
When she spoke to the attendees, Lisa Moores, MD, FCCP, reflected on what the patients shared. “We saw great examples of why we’re here tonight,” said Dr. Moores. “One of the things CHEST and the Foundation are focusing on is earlier diagnosis for interstitial lung diseases like pulmonary fibrosis and, with voices like Fred Schick, we’ll get there. The patients remind us why we’re here. We’re here for our patients; we’re here for Fred; and we’re here for Betsy.”
Laurence Feldman, Vice President of the Feldman Family Foundation that partners with the CHEST Foundation for their annual casino fundraiser benefiting pulmonary fibrosis, was able to participate in the dinner and theauction.
He shared, “Tonight, I was so impressed with the generosity of the attendees and the organization of this event. It reminded me that if you ask your supporters to give, they’ll be there for you. Almost like the ‘Field of Dreams’ quote of ‘if you build it, they will come.’ Being at the Belmont Stakes Dinner and Auction makes me that much more excited for our upcoming Irv Feldman Casino Night and Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament coming up in late August. Thanks to our corporate partners and the support of the CHEST Foundation, we’re able to produce an excellent event like the Belmont Stakes fundraiser that helps bring in donations that can make a difference in the lives of patients.”
At the end of the day, medicine is all about the patients and, by dedicating the night to patient education and patient advocates, the Belmont Stakes event brought the focus to where it should always be – improving care and helping patients.
To learn more and to support the various initiatives of the CHEST Foundation, visit foundation.chestnet.org/donate.