We closed out a decade of work on lung health and clean air with some big successes and lung health victories.
- Respiratory Health Association (RHA) reached a settlement with a large, long-running coal plant in Peoria, Illinois – who admitted to exceeding pollution limits. The settlement includes funds for health-related work in the surrounding communities. RHA is currently working with community members to identify opportunities.
- We created and tested our COPD Caregiver’s Toolkit, providing resources for family and friends as they navigate helping their loved ones with a COPD diagnosis. The early responses from caregivers have been positive. In the words of one caregiver, ”the earlier you get this in the hands of someone the better.”
- RHA continued to advocate for those living with asthma, and in 2018 worked with the Illinois General Assembly to pass the Stock Albuterol bill. This bill ensures schools have emergency asthma medication on hand in case of an asthma episode. Based off our asthma programming successes, in 2019 we received a one-year extension grant to bring asthma education programming to communities throughout Illinois.
Our success is possible because of your support!
As we look forward to 2020 and a new decade, we are excited to continue to build on what we have accomplished.
- We are ready to take on vaping companies as we work with Illinois legislators to add e-cigarettes to the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, and work on new legislation that ensures these companies are not preying on teens.
- We look forward to funding innovative lung disease research – ensuring new projects receive the support they so drastically need.
We hope you can help us continue this momentum and make a gift before the end of 2019. Together we can create a healthier future where everyone breathes easy.