Former Pro and College Basketball Coach and his Transplant Surgeon Speak to Patients With Terminal Lung Disease

Former Pro and College Basketball Coach and his Transplant Surgeon Speak to
Patients With Terminal Lung Disease

Renowned Transplant Surgeon Robert Love and Former Minnesota Timberwolves and
Marquette University Basketball Coach Present at "Living with PF" Patient
Event in Lisle Nov. 14th

CHICAGO, Nov. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An unlikely pair of experts -- a
transplant surgeon and a former pro and college basketball coach -- will be
speaking to patients suffering from pulmonary fibrosis (PF) on Saturday in
Lisle. The terminal lung disease threatened the life of the former coach until
the surgeon saved his life with a lung transplant.

Former assistant coach for the NBA Minnesota Timberwolves and Marquette
University men's basketball team, Trey Schwab will speak, along with his
transplant surgeon, Robert Love, M.D. from Loyola University Medical Center,
at the "Living with PF" patient seminar on Saturday, November 14th at the
Wyndham Lisle Chicago Hotel in Lisle, Illinois.

"Trey is a walking miracle. With fewer than 500 people a year surviving the
terminal lung disease via lung transplantation, His success story is one of
great good fortune and a testament to the wonderful skills of his doctor,"
said Mishka Michon, CEO of the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF), the
non-profit organization hosting the event. "There are about 39,500 other
patients lost each year that we'd like to see saved, but there aren't enough
lungs available and most of our patients don't fit the criteria for
transplant. However we get there, we want to see thousands more like Trey
survive this disease."

Few diseases claim as many lives as PF. Breast cancer claims the same number,
and is well-known and well-funded, while PF remains largely unknown. With a
burgeoning awareness of PF in Congress, there is also a growing recognition of
its ferocity in the public. There is no FDA approved treatment and no cure
for PF, a disease that causes progressive and relentless scarring in the
lungs, resulting in severe shortness of breath and eventually death for most
patients.

The event kicks off at 10:00 a.m. and runs through 3:30 p.m. Schwab will
speak at 11 a.m. followed by Dr. Love at 11:20 a.m. Other top PF physicians
and researchers will also be speaking at the event, including Imre Noth, M.D.,
of University of Chicago Medical Center and Keith Meyer, M.D., of University
of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison.

"I am so fortunate to be able to speak at this event to inform and inspire
others who are facing the death sentence I faced," said Trey Schwab, who is
now an outreach coordinator for the transplant program at University of
Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. Schwab received his lung transplant at UW
Hospital, under the care of Drs. Meyer and Love. Schwab received his lung
transplant at UW Health where Dr. Love directed the Thoracic Transplant
Program from 1992-2006. Dr. Love moved to Loyola University in Chicago and
now directs the Lung and Heart/Lung Programs at Loyola University Medical
Center.

The CPF is partnering with University of Chicago Medical Center, Loyola
University Medical Center, UW Health and Edward Hospital for the event that
will be attended by about 200 patients and family members. The event is made
possible by a generous grant from Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.

About Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF)
Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) is a lung disorder characterized by a progressive
scarring - known as fibrosis -- and deterioration of the lungs, which slowly
robs its victims of their ability to breathe. Approximately 128,000 Americans
suffer from PF, and there is currently no known cause or cure. An estimated
48,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. PF is difficult to diagnose and an
estimated two-thirds of patients die within five years of diagnosis.
Sometimes PF can be linked to a particular cause, such as certain
environmental exposures, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, residual
infection, or autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma or rheumatoid arthritis.
However, in many instances, no known cause can be established. When this is
the case, it is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

About the CPF
The CPF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2001 to accelerate
research efforts leading to a cure for pulmonary fibrosis (PF), while
educating, supporting, and advocating for the community of patients, families,
and medical professionals fighting this disease. The CPF funds promising
research into new approaches to treat and cure PF; provides patients and
families with comprehensive education materials, resources, and hope; serves
as a voice for national advocacy of PF issues; and works to improve awareness
of PF in the medical community as well as the general public. The CPF's
nonprofit partners include many of the most respected medical centers and
healthcare organizations in the U.S. With more than 19,000 members nationwide,
the CPF is the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to
advocating for those with PF. For more information please visit
www.coalitionforpf.org or call (888) 222-8541.

SOURCE Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis

Teresa Barnes, Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, +1-303-521-4080,
tbarnes@coalitionforpf.org