A PH Hero Remembered
It is so very rare if ever in our lives to be blessed with the presence of someone with such an enormous stature as Tom Lantos. This brave survivor of the holocaust, extraordinary humanist, indefatigable public servant and great champion of our fight against pulmonary hypertension, was truly a hero’s hero.
Thinking about this terrible loss we have suffered this morning at Tom’s passing, I am struck that his stature was truly global, as is his loss. Without a doubt, as I write this, there are many in his native Hungary already grieving the loss of their hero. The same can be said in Burundi, a country little known to many of us, but one for which Tom fought to end the scourge of genocide not unlike that he so narrowly escaped in 1944. Clearly, the sadness at his passing has fallen upon those there who he has been instrumental in saving.
In our own Capitol, where he served in Congress for three decades among some of the most difficult and often vile political battles, he was loved, respected and admired by politicians on both sides of the aisle. When Tom entered a chamber, his presence was clearly felt whether it be in the United States Congress, the United Nations, or that of any number of countries governments around the world. Although he arrived with a clear and lofty purpose that may be at odds with some, he was friends with all and regarded as one of America’s best.
Personally, I was only blessed to have known this giant of our times for a relatively small portion of his life. I can truthfully say, however, that he has and will influence 100% of the rest of mine. On a few occasions I experienced one of the greatest honors of my life to introduce Tom Lantos as a personal hero of mine. Words will never do that justice. He transcended being a hero to me and to all of us in the fight against pulmonary hypertension on a daily basis.
Undoubtedly, Tom has already become an advocate for us at a much higher plane than even he could have on this earth. I can hear him now, as though he were in this room with us saying “Don’t be sad or worry my friends at PHA, the cure for pulmonary hypertension remains at the top of my agenda, my heavenly agenda and I remain with you in this fight for the cure.”
We love you, Tom.
Carl Hicks
PHA Board Vice Chair & PH Advocate
Read more about Tom Lantos’ contributions to the fight against PH. | 
