American Lung Association hosts 18th annual Fight for Air fundraiser
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - More than 250 people from Western Pennsylvania stepped up for lung health at One Oxford Centre in Pittsburgh as a part of the Fight for Air Climb on Saturday morning.
Kelly Herman climbed for her grandfather, Bob Yant, who they called B-Y.
"To see him struggle like that was just, it was terrible," Herman said.
He died in March 2018 after suffering from lung issues for years, from being a firefighter for Sewickley and a longtime smoker. He had COPD, and at one point, lung cancer.
"As he started to kind of decline, he had to have the oxygen, and he had to pull his oxygen tank with him everywhere he went or carried on his shoulder," Herman said.
One month after his death, she and her family signed up to take part in the Fight for Air Climb. This marked her seventh year participating. She and hundreds of others raised more than $150,000 for the American Lung Association and climbed the 42 floors of the building, equal to 836 stairs.
Steve Gillis is the development director of the Western Pa. chapter of the association.
"When you start climbing the stairs, any normal climber, once they get to about, you know, the fifth or sixth flight, their lungs are burning, their legs are hurting," Gillis said.
Gillis said by climbing, folks can relate to what someone with lung disease is going through.
Those suffering also take part.
"It's something to them to be able to say they're able to do this," Gillis said.
In the Greater Pittsburgh area, more than 358,000 people are diagnosed with chronic lung disease, which includes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and lung cancer.
As for Herman, she'll keep climbing to bring awareness and to keep her grandfather's memory alive.
"I hope that people realize that when you can't breathe, nothing else matters," Herman said. "When I can't breathe at the end, and I'm struggling, I just think of him and the struggles that he went through, and it's really hard to imagine living like that every day."
Medical experts encourage everyone to get screened early for lung cancer, especially if you're a former smoker.