Cheryl Wegener lives on an natural farm in Fenton, Michigan, together with her husband Rob, their 15-year-old son Matthew, their Nice Danes, Gatsby and Bella, and practically 400 chickens. Along with working a community-supported agriculture program on the farm, Cheryl is an honors English instructor at Brighton Excessive College.
By Cheryl Wegener
For 14 years, Madison Wegener (pictured above, second from proper) introduced pleasure and happiness to her household, mates and neighborhood. For eight of these years, she lived with PH: going to high school, vacationing together with her household, attending PHA conferences.
Though she died throughout her freshman yr of highschool, her classmates by no means forgot her. In spring 2023, Brighton Excessive College seniors determined to make an enormous donation in her identify. As a part of a weeklong fundraising occasion, Madison’s former classmates selected the Pulmonary Hypertension Affiliation as one in all two beneficiaries. The occasion raised $100,000, half of which they donated to PHA.
Once I heard that Madison’s charity had been chosen, I felt aid, gratitude and a slight sense of apprehension. In my thoughts, I stated, “We did it, Madison, and we’re going to make you proud.”
This summer season, my husband Rob and I might be honored to current the $50,000 examine at PHA 2024 Worldwide PH Convention and Scientific Periods in Indianapolis.
For our household, the examine ceremony at PHA 2024 is a becoming tribute to Madison. We discovered help and encouragement by means of PHA and discovered about PHA conferences by means of PHA’s help group for folks of kids with PH.
When Madison walked into PHA 2012 in Florida, her first convention, she was radiant. She noticed folks like her: Some had oxygen tanks, some rode scooters and others had infusion pumps. Madison additionally met her first buddy with PH at that convention.
PHA conferences allowed Madison to befriend different children with PH her personal age, and people friendships lasted all through her lifetime.
After PHA 2012, our household grew to become immersed within the PHA neighborhood. PHA offered a wealth of details about find out how to navigate this unfamiliar uncommon illness. The true wow issue got here once we attended convention. It confirmed us PHA is a corporation that understands the significance of bringing collectively all events concerned: sufferers, caregivers and well being care suppliers. We had been now not combating alone.
Learn the Wegener household’s full story within the March problem of Pathlight, PHA’s member journal. For those who’re not a member, be part of to learn their story. To help our mission and spring marketing campaign, contemplate donating to PHA.