Pulmonary Fibrosis

Norman Haber died from the respiratory illness known as Pulmonary Fibrosis. It is a progressive disease that involves a scarring of the lungs. Over time, as the condition advances, the lung tissue becomes more and more damaged and loses its ability to transfer oxygen into the blood stream for use throughout the body.

The causes of Pulmonary Fibrosis remain unclear. However, it is often correlated with a variety of other diseases such as lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc. Pulmonary Fibrosis has also been linked to environmental factors like smoking and chronic exposure to occupational pollutants that are known to assault the lungs. As a life-long chemist, Norman obviously endured decades of exposure to all sorts of fumes and particulates. He also smoked cigarettes as a young man. These factors – if not the sole causes of the disease – undoubtedly contributed to his pathology.

Some of the primary symptoms of Pulmonary Fibrosis include a shortness of breath, chronic dry cough, fatigue, chest discomfort, and weight loss. As the disease progresses, its symptoms obviously do as well. Over the last couple of years of Norman's life, he went from requiring just a bit of supplemental oxygen at night, to needing it in larger doses and for longer periods of time. In the final stages Norman was bound to an electric wheelchair and on large, constant doses of supplemental oxygen. Just standing up was enough to sink his oxygen levels so low that he would end up in profound respiratory distress, panting uncontrollably for minutes on end.

Current statistics indicate that as many as five million people around the world are afflicted with Pulmonary Fibrosis. There is still no cure or effective treatment for the disease however. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation is a leading organization behind the movement to change this. If you would like to learn more about the illness, the foundation, or how you might be able to make a contribution, please visit: www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org.