Respiratory Stories

Breathing Easier
Gwen Colfer spent three years struggling to breathe and searching for a diagnosis before coming to National Jewish Health. Doctors here found answers, and she is breathing easier today.

A School Where Students Thrive Academically and Medically
Shannon Goodnight, who has asthma and cystic fibrosis, felt “more comfortable” at school knowing that medical help was just steps away. At Morgridge Academy for chronically ill children, two full-time nurses help students learn to manage their medical conditions.

‘Feeling healthy for the first time in my life’
Ally Curry has lived with asthma and allergies her entire life. She moved from California to Denver as a teenager to be closer to National Jewish Health. She calls the care she received here “a turning point” in her life.

Early Detection Leads to Successful Treatment
John Matousek feels “lucky” to be cancer free two years after a lung cancer diagnosis.

A Battle With Asthma
Jake Cohn almost died at birth due to respiratory problems. Today, he's a professional skier who doesn't let asthma get in his way.

‘I just never knew that you could breathe like that.’
Jennifer Champy struggled to breathe for years before coming to National Jewish Health. The coordinated care she received has dramatically improved her health.

Chasing a Diagnosis
A chronic cough and shortness of breath sidelined avid runner Denny Breedlove for two years. Today, he is back to running after doctors at National Jewish Health uncovered a hidden condition.

Cancer Free After Early Detection
Nadine Cochran was being treated for a gastrointestinal condition when a CT scan uncovered a hidden growth in her lung. She was referred to National Jewish Health, where doctors worked together to save her life.

A life-changing diagnosis
For John Hall of Wyoming, a visit to National Jewish Health resulted in a new diagnosis and an "opportunity for an extended and fuller life."

'National Jewish Health has been a positive experience for my family.'
Asthma and food allergies were keeping Rebecca Aguirre and her children, Bayleigh and Colin, from doing the things they enjoy. After receiving care at National Jewish Health, they have peace of mind and are able to bike, swim, and run again.

'A unique health care experience'
Lynda Mehrens turned to National Jewish Health for answers to her debilitating respiratory problems. She received a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan, and Lynda is able to enjoy life again.

'National Jewish Health has impacted our family beyond belief!'
Isabella Lenyo suffered from recurrent bouts with pneumonia for the first six years of her life. Finally, the Lenyo family found a doctor who shared their commitment to finding the root cause of Isabella’s condition. This extraordinary dedication would lead the family to National Jewish Health, and a definitive diagnosis.

'The best experience'
For ten years, an unknown lung condition was taking away Ursula Bollinger's ability to breathe. At National Jewish Health, she finally received a diagnosis and treatment plan that have transformed her life.

'I was able to do things that I could never do before.'
In March of 1971, when Nancy Ott, MD was 13 years old, she came to Denver for treatment of her asthma and allergies. The Children’s Treatment Center became her home for the next eight months.

A Hidden Condition
The coordinated care Patricia Wallingford received at National Jewish Health uncovered a digestive problem that was causing shortness of breath.

Expert Care Improves Quality of Life for Patient with COPD
After years of living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Dave Savage’s condition and quality of life were declining. He found the help he needed from the experts at National Jewish Health.

Finding Answers After Years of Searching
After four years of living with shortness of breath and fatigue, Patricia “Pat” Healy felt like life was slipping away. Visits to numerous doctors and five different hospitals could not produce a definitive diagnosis. Finally, a four-day appointment at National Jewish Health provided Pat the answers she had been seeking.

Seeking Help for an Aggressive Lung Infection
Joan Ottenritter was a busy mother of two living an active life in Baltimore when she learned she had a rare, potentially deadly disease lurking in her lungs.

Hope for the Future
Six years ago, Jaime Muñoz’s doctors told him he did not have long to live. Today, after a new diagnosis and a double-lung transplant, he credits National Jewish Health with saving his life.

Kunsberg School Kept her Focused on Academics, not Asthma
Tiauna Rivers came from an underprivileged home and had severe asthma, which prevented her from attending school regularly.

What Seemed Like Asthma Was Much More Serious
When Colette Kramer's "complicated" health issues became more than even the experienced nurse could handle, only National Jewish Health was able to find the answers she needed.

Gasping for Air with Asthma
Margarita Welling first developed asthma while she was pregnant. After years of severe, life-threatening asthma attacks, she found help at National Jewish Health.

A Second Opinion Gives Patient a Second Chance at Life Sharon Volkman believed she only had seven to 10 years to live until she came to National Jewish Health.

Helping Children Find Hope: Then and Now
Cary Quarles, who struggled to breathe as a child, said his year living on the National Jewish Health campus was “the best year of my life.”

Coordinated Care to Treat Complex Cases
When Sondy Knitter’s lungs became so inflamed that she had to have a breathing tube, her doctor in Abilene, Kansas, and National Jewish Health pulmonologist Joshua Solomon, MD, decided it was time she come to Denver – quickly.

Clinical Research Changes Lives
For two years, Rhonda Officer watched helplessly as her breathing capacity dropped relentlessly to half what it should have been. Her doctor at National Jewish Health wasn't ready to give up and initiated an off-label use of a medication, which stabilized her lung function.