PF Patient Mike Blazer on FOX 6 News
UAB and a patient looks to find cure for pulmonary fibrosis
By Alan Collins
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A former road safety crusader is now picking up a new cause. One that threatens his life. Mike Blazer lives in Heflin. He once lived in Pell City. Blazer and others campaigned to make I-20 safer with concrete barriers after a number of traffic fatalities.
Early in 2009, Blazer discovered he was coughing a lot and couldn't catch his breath. Later a doctor told him he had pulmonary fibrosis. "It was devastating. He told me there was not any treatment but a lung transplant. I didn't know how to deal with it." Blazer said.
Blazer says he went into a bit of a depression but later thanks to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation he pulled out of it. "The people at the foundation told me to hang in there, you will learn to cope with it," Blazer said.
UAB researchers are working on the deadly disease. "We are close to understanding what causes pulmonary fibrosis. We are a long way from finding effective therapies," Dr. Joao de Andrade, Associate Prof. of Pulmonary medicine said.
UAB needs people to help with their research in determining the cause of the disease and developing treatments. The school also has support groups for patients.
About 128,000 people have been diagnosed with the pulmonary fibrosis and 40,000 die each year in America. Blazer, who is 57, wants to become an advocate.
Make awareness of it as we come together as a group learn more abut this. That we get better recognition and start getting funding for research," he added.
Blazer wants to get donations to sale on the Internet where 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. This keeps Blazer's spirit high. "I'm going to hang around for a while. I won't let this get to me that way." Blazer said.
For more information contact www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org, mike.blazer@yahoo.com
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Posted by FOX 6 News at 5:41 PM
