With all of the miraculous gifts that come with motherhood, one of the hardest to explain is the immediate and intangible connection we have with our children. When our babies are born we innately have an inner voice that guides us through scrapes, scratches and bruises, a multitude of first feelings and life experiences and the know how to comfort our kids knowing they are okay. But it is also the anxious feeling when something does not feel right–when your gut tells you to think twice.
As the mother of two school-age children, and the Executive Director of the Midwest Pulmonary Hypertension Association, that nagging feeling is something I am conscious of every day. Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs that can lead to heart failure. It affects adults and children and is there no cure.
PH is considered a rare disease and, as a result, most people haven’t heard of it. I want to change that. As parents we seem to be bombarded with a steady stream of information about our children’s health and development. We’re informed. We’re smart. We’re alert. And yet, there is always more to learn. Like so many other diseases, early detection is paramount. Because of the complexity of symptoms and close association with other chronic pulmonary illnesses such as COPD and asthma, PH is often undiagnosed.
In children, PH can present itself in so many ways including shortness of breath, fatigue and cyanosis, which is a physical sign causing bluish discoloration of the skin or lips. More acute symptoms could include severe chest pain, vomiting or passing out suddenly. Some children might have trouble with daily activities, such as participating in PE or playing tag at recess. PH is a fatal disease if not treated but there is lots of hope thanks to new treatments, especially in recent years. And while prognosis is improving but there is still much work to do.
November is Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month and the beginning of the “Blue Lips Challenge,” a year long campaign to educate and inform the public, raise funds for research and unite the tens of thousands of people touched by PH. The “Blue Lips Challenge” engages the public and increases mindfulness of the symptoms and effects of PH through a series of challenges including: participants posting photos of themselves donning their own blue lips on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; taking the straw test—breathing into a narrow straw while holding your nose for 30 seconds to simulate living with PH—and sharing it on YouTube; making a monetary donation; participating in a corporate matching gift program; participating in one of many endurance events and more.
Participants will be rewarded for their efforts with a variety of prize incentives such as a vacation package, electronics and special events. Perhaps most rewarding, however, will be the satisfaction of participating in a campaign that will ultimately, in some way, enhance the lives of those who suffer from PH as well as the people who care for them.
Please join the Blue Lips Challenge today to help us all breathe a little easier and increase awareness about PH. To sign up go to bluelipschallenge.com.