Health

Pittsburgh Rare Disease Community Continues Tradition of Successful 5K Event

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It is my goal to bring as much awareness, education, and research for this disease as possible.


PITTSBURGH (PRWEB)

The 8th Annual PHenomenal Hope 5K is set to take place on Saturday, May 22 at the North Shore Riverfront Trail in Pittsburgh, both in-person and virtually. The proceeds will go to support nonprofit Team PHenomenal Hope’s mission to end a rare lung disease, pulmonary hypertension (PH).

PH is a rare disease that causes high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, which puts unnecessary stress on both the heart and then lungs. Currently, there is no cure, and, eventually, it can be fatal. One of the most aggressive symptoms of the disease is shortness of breath, which prevents patients from being able to do ordinary things, such as climbing the stairs, without becoming exhausted.

Team PHenomenal Hope’s mission is to fund medical research into improved treatments or a cure for those who suffer from pulmonary hypertension, and to implement programs and services that remove patients from isolation, build community, and provide hope.

Race Director Kayla Frattini has a personal connection to Team PHenomenal Hope’s mission; her mom. “My mother battled pulmonary hypertension for six years before ultimatling succumbing to the progressive nature of it. I have seen first hand the effects this disease has on people and the few treatment options available. It is my goal to bring as much awareness, education, and research for this disease as possible.”

5K participants may register to attend in person until May 18, and virtual participants may register until the day of the event. Visit http://www.runsignup.com/phenomenalhope5k to register or make a donation. Raffle tickets for the virtual raffle can be purchased online. The prizes in the virtual raffle will be available online only through May 22. You do not have to be registered for the 5K to participate in the raffle. A separate raffle will be taking place at the in-person event; these prizes will be different than those online.

Frattini and her team of volunteers worked to make the 2020 event, although entirely virtual, a widely successful year, bringing in more than 400 participants and $42,000 to support research for a cure. This year, although there is still caution surrounding the slowing COVID-19 pandemic, Frattini has implemented a stringent safety protocol viewable at https://bit.ly/3jH2r9f.

For more information, to register for the race, or to donate to the cause, go to http://www.runsignup.com/phenomenalhope5k. Visit http://www.teamph.org to learn more about Team PHenomenal Hope.

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