![\"Bianca](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/03c4283.netsolhost.com\/member\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Bianca_opt-300x200.jpg?resize=300%2C200\" "\\"Bianca_opt\\"")
Bianca Walker from the ALA, Diane Musa and Sandy Hawke from Catuogno Court Reporting<\/p><\/div>\n
Connie:<\/strong> Can you tell us about the history of the Fight for Air Climb? If someone is unable to participate physically in the Climb, how can they help otherwise? Connie:<\/strong> Diane, can you tell us a little about yourself? Connie:<\/strong> How did your team from Catuogno Court Reporting help you? Connie:<\/strong> I hear that the Catuogno Court Reporting Team climbs in your honor, is that true. Connie:<\/strong> What are the special challenges for you with a lung condition? Connie:<\/strong> I\u2019ve heard it described as trying to breathe through a straw. Is that true? Connie:<\/strong> Sandy, can you tell me why you decided to participate in the Fight for Air Climb? Connie:<\/strong> What is it like for you to participate in the climb knowing that others with lung conditions are directly benefiting from your assistance? For more information about the Fight For Air Climb, go to www.lungusa.org\/pledge-events\/ma\/springfield-climb\/<\/a> or, contact Bianca Walker at 413.505.5064 or bwalker@lungne.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" HNE Health Programs Educator, recently interviewed Bianca Walker,\u00a0 American Lung Association (ALA) Development Manager, and two Climb participants from Catuogno Court Reporting, Diane Musa and Sandy Hawke. Connie: Can you tell us about the history of the Fight for Air Climb? If someone is unable to participate physically in the Climb, how can they help […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spring-2011"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6ZZGa-4o","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=272"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nBianca:<\/strong> It\u2019s our 3rd annual Fight for Air Climb to raise funds for various lung diseases. Money raised is used to support programs locally in the Community. If you can\u2019t do the climb, you can help by volunteering. We also have a virtual climber option.<\/p>\n
\nDiane:<\/strong> I have COPD, emphysema and I smoked for 17 years. Trust me, if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn\u2019t have smoked. I quit cold turkey the day I went into the hospital. I did it for my grandson so I could see him more often.<\/p>\n
\nDiane: <\/strong>When I got sick, they came to help me. They got the ambulance in there to get me out of work. If I say, \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019m gonna go to the doctors today\u201d, she [Sandy] will say \u201cOh, yes you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nDiane:<\/strong> A lot of people have quit smoking because I\u2019ve scared them. They\u2019re climbing for me because I can\u2019t do it. I virtually climb, volunteer, and do t-shirts.<\/p>\n
\nDiane:<\/strong> A lot of challenges. Stairs are a big one – even in my apartment. No matter how much you\u2019re trying to breathe normally, you can\u2019t. A lot of things you did before that you took for granted, you can\u2019t do anymore.<\/p>\n
\nDiane:<\/strong> A closed straw. It\u2019s hard to describe, everything here [pointing to chest] is kind of pushed together. It\u2019s like when you\u2019re in the shower and you get water down your throat and you can\u2019t catch your breath because you\u2019re choking.<\/p>\n
\nSandy:<\/strong> For Diane, and for my mom who has COPD and emphysema.\u00a0 I use to work at the American Lung Association, so I know what they do for everyone in the programs and how it helps people. I thought it would be a good thing for our company to do.<\/p>\n
\nBianca:<\/strong> It was an eye-opener for me. I started off too fast by the time I got half way I was gasping for air. I finally made it to the top. I got a sense for what it must be like for someone who is gasping for air. It made me feel even more passionate about what I\u2019m doing and the reasons why
\nDiane:<\/strong> For years, you\u2019ve heard about but never really thought about it. I mean when somebody dies you donate to the American Lung Association. Until you\u2019ve gone through the breathing, you don\u2019t understand. I think of everybody doing it for my father. I don\u2019t do it for myself; I do it for my Dad.
\nSandy:<\/strong> I enjoy being able to help people. I hate that people have to go through this.<\/p>\n