BY JYOTHSNA HEGDE
Atlanta, GA, February 15, 2025: Imagine feeling like you’re trying to breathe through a straw, even when you’re just sitting still. A simple walk across the room leaves you gasping for air. The breath that once felt effortless now comes with struggle, tightness, and exhaustion. This is the reality for those living with pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease that turns every inhale into a challenge.
Pulmonary fibrosis isn’t just a diagnosis — it’s a life-changing reality that affects not only those who have it but also the people who love and care for them.
On February 4, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) launched its Breathe Easy: The Latest podcast with host Patti Tripathi, a former CNN Headline News anchor, the first Indian American on network television. In the fresh format, Tripathi will open with the latest news in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine and engage advocates, experts and patients to highlight issues and raise awareness.
“American Thoracic Society has members across the globe, all focused to help the world breathe,” said Kevin Tuerff, Managing Director, ATS. “We chose Patti Tripathi to host our Breathe Easy podcast because of her incredible broadcast journalism background and her passion for improving respiratory medicine, based on her own family history.”
Having suffered the heartbreak of losing her mother to pulmonary fibrosis, Tripathi channels her grief into something powerful, raising awareness about the disease while offering a platform for patients, caregivers, and experts to share their experiences. With her signature warmth and journalistic expertise, she guides heartfelt conversations that educate, inspire, and empower listeners. For Tripathi, hosting the show isn’t just about storytelling—it’s a way to honor her mother’s memory, by amplifying voices and fostering a community of support and hope.
“Like the charity I founded in 2012 Saris to Suits, I do this in memory of my mom who dealt with this incurable disease with such grace, dignity, and strength for four years till her passing at the young age of 56 some 20 years ago … I miss her but I am so lucky she was loaned to me,” Tripathi said. While her mom’s passing came as a shock to some family members, Tripathi had been grieving for years, sharing a deep, unspoken understanding with their mother as she prepared them for her death. Tripathi quit her news anchoring job in Atlanta to help her through rehabilitation of her hip post surgery in Indiana, but her mother never made it out of the hospital. “I hope my experience and the expertise of others will arm people with knowledge about critical care, sleep, air pollutants to prepare others to help improve longevity, the quality of life, and cope better than, frankly, I did. Bottom of FormI want Breathe Easy: The Latest to be a place people seeking answers about their loved ones or needing guidance and support.”
The first episode featured self-described pulmonary fibrosis warrior and medical research advocate, Teresa Barnes, who has been deeply affected by the diseases suffering loss of five family members. Barnes is also former chair of the ATS Public Advisory Roundtable (PAR), which integrates the patient perspective into ATS programs and activities. She is former vice president of outreach and program support for the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis and co-founder of fluidIQ, a public benefit company that offers solutions based on a proprietary fluidics’ technology platform.
When host Tripathi and guest Barnes came together for the opening episode, their conversation was more than just an interview—it was a deeply personal and heartfelt exchange between two women bound by loss and resilience. Having both lost loved ones to pulmonary fibrosis, they shared their grief, their struggles, and their determination to raise awareness about this devastating disease. Their voices carried the weight of their experiences, filled with emotion, understanding, and an unwavering commitment to advocacy. As they reflected on their journeys, their words resonated with listeners facing similar battles, offering comfort, solidarity, and hope. It was a powerful reminder that even in loss, there is strength in storytelling and community.
And there is plenty more where that came from. The podcast is slated to be aired on the first Tuesday of each month.
Founded in 1905, ATS is the world’s leading medical society dedicated to accelerating the advancement of global respiratory health through multidisciplinary collaboration, education, and advocacy. Core activities of the society’s more than 16,000 members in 133 countries are focused on leading scientific discoveries, advancing professional development, impacting global health, and transforming patient care.
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