Statement By Bernadette Toomey, On The Untimely Passing Of Robert Goulet From Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 09 Nov 2007 - 3:00 PDT

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On behalf of the many volunteers and staff at the American Lung Association, I'd like to express our deepest condolences to the friends and family of the legendary Robert Goulet. It is our collective hope that his family finds comfort in the fact that he brought happiness to so many people during his nearly 50 years as a star of stage, screen, television and recording. Mr. Goulet was also an advocate for health education. After recovering from prostate cancer in the 1990s, Mr. Goulet spoke widely about the importance of getting tested for the disease.

Pulmonary Fibrosis is a very serious chronic lung disease that affects up to 200,000 Americans. The course of the disease is unpredictable and an effective treatment has not yet been found and is the subject of considerable research. The American Lung Association has supported research into the nature of and possible treatments for this disease in both its regular research program and through its Dalsemer Research Grant which specifically supports research in interstitial lung disease, click here to learn about current research. According to a statement from his family, Mr. Goulet suffered from a "rapidly progressive" form of Pulmonary Fibrosis, and was awaiting a lung transplant.

If you suspect that you or someone you know might have a lung disease, we urge you to speak to your doctor. To find out more about interstitial lung diseases, including Pulmonary Fibrosis, click here.

Mr. Goulet will be missed. At the American Lung Association, we hope to help keep his memory alive as we continue to fund vital research to help fight this devastating disease, and to provide resources to help people who are diagnosed with it.

http://www.lungusa.org