Walkathon will raise funds to help victims of rare lung disease


webmaster | 10/06/12

The first symptoms of a rare and progressive lung disease started showing as Chowchilla resident Peggy Haupt took her daily walk more than four years ago.

Within days from each other, both of her lungs collapsed and Haupt underwent lung biopsy and surgery. After a journey of hospitalizations, procedures and a lengthy recovery, Haupt was able to get her life back on track but she still suffers from lymphangioleiomyomatosis, better known as LAM.

LAM typically strikes women in their childbearing years and often goes undetected because the symptoms are confused with those of other diseases such as shortness of breath, cough and chest pain. According to the LAM Foundation, the disease results in progressive destruction of healthy lung tissue caused by cyst formation and abnormal growth of smooth cell muscle cells not usually found in the lungs. Lung capacity progressively declines, sometimes resulting in the need for supplemental oxygen, the LAM Foundation noted. There is currently no cure for LAM and no treatment has proven to be completely effective.

That’s what keeps Haupt walking today. In hopes of raising funds to find a cure for LAM, Haupt has organized an annual event...


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