My name is Wayne. As a selfemployed consultant in New Orleans, I have enjoyed the freedom to truly appreciate where I live. In fact, I once served as King of one of the city’s famous Mardi Gras parades.
I am also an avid traveler, and it was a mild hiking excursion in Aruba several years ago that eventually led to my diagnosis with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), a rare genetic disease that commonly affects the lungs.
Although I had been treated for asthma for a number of years, I was often surprised at the breathing difficulties that came over me with everyday activities. I often had to stop just to catch my breath. Sometimes, elderly people would pass by me on a walking trail and wonder what was wrong – this was a bit embarrassing.
I was tested for something I had never heard of before, AATD; and it was confirmed that I did indeed have AATD. I learned that this deficiency of a protein was something that would normally protect my lungs. I also learned that any current damage to my lungs could not be reversed, but that through what is called ‘augmentation therapy’ I would receive a weekly infusion of a plasma based therapy.
I’m always inspired to tell anyone diagnosed with AATD that there is help and hope. Through the generosity of plasma donors, I am able to receive my weekly infusions to replace the missing protein in my body. I continue to do all of the things I’ve done before, and still try to go on at least two vacations a year. The infusions have become a routine part of my life, but there is not one day that goes by that I don’t think about the people who make it possible for me to have the gift of living a healthier life.
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