8/31/07
Membership in PHA is a way for patients and their loved ones to stand collectively with so many in the fight for our cause. Troy Williams is one member who stands tall in the fight against PH. His goal is to turn the tragedy of losing his wife, Sharon, into a triumph by helping to win the fight against PH and honoring those who have lost their battle.
Membership boosts PHA’s power when we talk to Congress, the media and the public. There is strength in our numbers. Each person who joins PHA has a story — a cause to fight for. This is why PHA is not just an organization fighting against PH, but YOUR organization fighting for YOU.
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This is Troy's story ...
It was mid-December, 2006, when Sharon Williams started feeling ill. Like so many PH patients, Sharon was misdiagnosed with bronchitis and sent home. A month later, after passing out, a doctor walked into Sharon’s hospital room and told her, “You have pulmonary hypertension. It may be six weeks, six months or six years, but you will need a heart and lung transplant.” This is where her six-month battle with pulmonary hypertension began.
Sharon was only 43 years old when she died. She and Troy were recently married and had just adopted a Chihuahua. The two were beginning their lives together. “For a disease we had never heard of, it was like a train wreck — our lives began crumbling,” Troy remembers. He went home after Sharon’s diagnosis and searched for any information about PH he could find. He only found bad news and grim details along the way.
That is, he recalls, until he found the PHA website. Troy used the “Find-A-Doctor” section on the website to locate a doctor in their area who had many years of experience treating PH patients.
He felt a renewed sense of hope for her battle, but continued to spend sleepless nights educating himself about PH. “Knowledge is power — especially when you are dealing with such an unforgiving disease,” Tray explains. He found that the information PHA provided was written clearly, so that even those without a medical background could understand it. He became familiar with the medication and treatments and was able to talk to the doctors about the direction of Sharon’s treatment.
Troy became a self-described “shadow visitor” to the PHA website. He had visited the site and used the resources regularly, but felt nameless in the PH community.
Now, Troy wants to declare his battle to the public — and he’s off to a great start. He has already garnered the interest of his local newspaper, The Blackshear Times, in Pierce County, Ga., which has featured a story about Sharon and PH. He also plans to reach out to many other local papers, participate in PHA’s 435 Campaign and do anything else he can to create awareness of PH.
Strength in the battle against PH
Troy gained strength to help Sharon in her fight and deal with her passing from other PHers through the PHA message boards. The people he met on these boards gave Troy an opportunity to share his fears and sadness about Sharon. He was able to find comfort in hearing others talk about the disease and in knowing that he was not alone in the battle.
When Sharon passed, many members of the PH community posted messages on the online guest book of Sharon’s obituary. Her family was amazed to see the PH community come together in a time of need, especially for someone they had never met. Because of this outpouring of support, Troy realized that there are still so many PH patients and their families who need help. The community helped Troy in his battle and now he believes it is his turn to help them.
After Sharon’s death, Troy made it his one-man crusade to educate the public about pulmonary hypertension and to tell the world about Sharon Williams. He joined PHA to strengthen to his battle. And now he is not alone in this fight. His one-man crusade became 8,000 strong when he joined PHA. Troy did everything he could to help while Sharon was still alive, and now, since her passing, he is driven to do everything he can to help others.
Join Troy to Stand Collectively Together Against PH
Membership in PHA opens the door to a community of more than 8,000 patients, caregivers and medical professionals.
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