RE: Urgent need to educate about ARDS

                                                            Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Dear Reporter/Editor/Producer:

            Each year, over 150,000 men, women and children are victims of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), an illness that causes moderate to severe loss of lung function.  Only 50% survive.

            Given that ARDS is relatively new compared to most serious diseases and illnesses (it was first diagnosed in the 1960s), the medical community and ARDS victims alike have just begun the quest to spread what information exists and encourage public understanding and medical research.

            I have enclosed a media kit which contains helpful background information about ARDS and a few survival stories.  I strongly encourage you to read through these materials in order for you to understand my sense of urgency in communicating to the public.

            Like cancer and AIDS, ARDS is widespread and causes lingering illness and death.  Unlike cancer and AIDS, however, ARDS isn’t attributable to lifestyle or factors like smoking that are known to cause disease.  Healthy people are struck by ARDS without warning. And the actual diagnosis of ARDS is very tough.  That’s why it is so important to impart knowledge of ARDS to the public.

Please consider writing/producing a story about ARDS.  I would be happy to coordinate interviews, bring you into contact with the medical community and provide you with additional resources.

            Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.

Eileen Rubin Zacharias, President

ARDS Foundation

To Contact me Please use our Contact Form

(312) 749-7047