The AARC was saddened to learn of the death of COPD Foundation Founder and Director Emeritus John Walsh, who passed away on Tuesday after complications from an accident he suffered last year.
According to the COPD Foundation, Walsh “lived each day pushing himself to advocate for those who did not have a voice, and the world is a better place because of it.”
Diagnosed with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, the genetic form of COPD, he touched the lives of countless individuals through his pioneering efforts in the respiratory field and his dedication to improving health, promoting worldwide detection, and finding a cure for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
He was also a friend to the respiratory care profession, which he embraced in his mission to improve the lives of people with COPD.
“John was an inspirational thought leader in the respiratory care community and advocated from everywhere for the AARC and the respiratory therapist,” says AARC Executive Director Thomas Kallstrom, MBA, RRT, FAARC.
Read more about John Walsh and the lasting legacy he has left to everyone with chronic lung disease on the Foundation’s Remembering John Walsh webpage.
More on Walsh’s major contributions to the Alpha-1 community can be found in this tribute on the Alpha-1 Foundation website.
Watch this slide show produced by the Alpha-1 Foundation, which was also founded by John Walsh, to get a glimpse at his life.
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