Odetta

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PRESS RELEASE

Pulmonary Fibrosis Contributes to Beloved Civil Rights Writer and Folk

Singer Odetta's Death

Last update: 9:30 a.m. EST Dec. 4, 2008

SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec 04, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ --

Music and civil rights icon Odetta succumbed December 2 as a result of

multiple illnesses. One of them was pulmonary fibrosis (PF), an

illness that relentlessly fills the lungs with scar tissue and

suffocates its victims, and is one of the deadliest yet least well

known diseases in the country. Despite being diagnosed with PF two

years ago, a diagnosis that was essentially a death sentence, Odetta

went on to perform extraordinary concerts all over the world. Her

doctors were amazed at her determination to sing while battling the

disease. Despite her markedly reduced lung capacity, she managed to

complete entire concerts and only access her supplemental oxygen as

she left the stage.

Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) is a tissue debilitating lung disease that

causes progressive scarring of the lungs, ultimately robbing a person

of the ability to breathe. As many people die each year to PF as to

breast cancer, yet most have never heard of it until they receive the

devastating diagnosis. More than 128,000 suffer from the disease and

incidence and prevalence has increased more than 150 percent in the

last several years.

" We are deeply saddened at the loss of such a beloved singer and civil

rights legend, " said Mishka Michon, chief executive officer for the

Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF). " We lose 40,000 people a year

to this disease (as many as are lost to breast cancer), and each loss

is painful. Odetta's death highlights for the nation, and for her

fans, what those of us fighting pulmonary fibrosis already know - that

there is a killer disease randomly striking thousands and we have no

treatments. Marlon Brando, Gordon Jump and Goulet's lives were

among those cut down by pulmonary fibrosis - we don't want to see

these losses continue at their current pace. We can only hope that,

with increased awareness and funding for research, the future will

change for others. "

Odetta's manager, Doug Yeager, told the CPF she was diagnosed with PF

two years ago but refused to let the grim prognosis get her down. Most

patients live less than three years and few are able to continue a

normal life because of the extremely life limiting breathlessness and

related exhaustion.

Odetta used supplemental oxygen for the two years she suffered, but

somehow had the strength to perform more than 60 concerts after her

diagnosis around the world - all of her performances except for one

were completed without her having to use an oxygen tank, Yeager said.

" She wouldn't use her oxygen during her concerts. Somehow, she'd go

out and sing for 90 minutes without it, " Yeager said. The only concert

she performed with supplemental oxygen was one in Denver, Colorado, a

city that sits at 5,280 feet of elevation, he said.

There is no FDA approved treatment for PF, no known cause and no cure.

Odetta is one of 40,000 people who will die this year from the

disease. The CPF has counseled thousands of patients and family

members who've faced pulmonary fibrosis. To learn more, please visit:

www.coalitionforpf.org.

Odetta's last concert performance was October 26th of this year,

according to Yeager. She also performed a concert October 6th, in

front of 100,000 people at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

About Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF)

PF is a lung disorder characterized by a progressive scarring - known

as fibrosis - and deterioration of the lungs, which slowly robs its

victims of their ability to breathe. Approximately 128,000 Americans

suffer from IPF, and there is currently no known cause or cure. An

estimated 48,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. IPF is difficult

to diagnose and an estimated two-thirds of patients die within five

years of diagnosis. Sometimes pulmonary fibrosis can be linked to a

particular cause, such as certain environmental exposures,

chemotherapy or radiation therapy, residual infection, or autoimmune

diseases such as scleroderma or rheumatoid arthritis. However, in many

instances, no known cause can be established. When this is the case,

it is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

About the CPF

The CPF is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2001 to

accelerate research efforts leading to a cure for pulmonary fibrosis

(PF), while educating, supporting, and advocating for the community of

patients, families, and medical professionals fighting this disease.

The CPF funds promising research into new approaches to treat and cure

pulmonary fibrosis; provides patients and families with comprehensive

education materials, resources, and hope; serves as a voice for

national advocacy of PF issues; and works to improve awareness of PF

in the medical community as well as the general public. The CPF's

nonprofit partners include many of the most respected medical centers

and healthcare organizations in the U.S. With more than 16,000 members

nationwide, the CPF is the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S.

dedicated to advocating for those with pulmonary fibrosis. For more

information please visit www.coalitionforpf.org or call .

SOURCE Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis

http://www.coalitionforpf.org