Saturday, April 22, 2006

LLHS senior wins essay contest

Amy M. Nodden News-Bulletin Staff Writer; anodden@news-bulletin.com

Los Lunas One of five winners selected to be profiled in the Albuquerque Journal Sage magazine contest entitled "Making a difference" is Los Lunas High School senior Talysa Ogas.

Ogas wrote an essay on pulmonary hypertension. She'll be featured in the June edition.

"My cousin, Eliana Alderete, is 2 years old and she was diagnosed with this rare disease. It occurs in women in their childbearing years but, in the past few years, babies have started becoming diagnosed with PH," she said.

Ogas is involved in various community events and school events to help raise awareness of this disease.

"I spearheaded Hypertension Week in November, I am selling bracelet bands this week, I have done can food drives to give to people in the community for Thanksgiving and I have done blood drives. This is the biggest project I have ever done and I have just been doing it for two years. To me, I am just starting on this. I plan to continue this through college. To raise more awareness, I raised money by speaking to the school board, speaking to the Rotary Club and, in May, I will be speaking to the Optimist Club in Belen."

Pulmonary Hypertension is an "invisible" health problem. People with PH often do not look sick. It involves high blood pressure in the lungs; it is rare, incurable and a life-threatening disease. People of any age or ethnic background can have it. Some of the symptoms associated with this disease are: breathlessness, dizziness and fatigue. It can even make the simplest tasks of daily living seem difficult. It is not contagious.

"In Valencia County, there are two babies diagnosed with this disease, one of them being my cousin. I want to keep raising money because, in order to find a cure, research needs to be done. This disease hits so close to home," Ogas said.

She also expressed that winning the Sage award was an honor. "I am going to a special awards ceremony luncheon and I get a day of shopping at Dillard's for an outfit, I am getting a makeover and having a portrait done,".she said.

"When my cousin was diagnosed, it made us realize what exactly PH is. My cousin was given only four years to live. We have a lot of hope that she will pull through. It is vital that money be given to the PH Association," Ogas said

For more information on the disease or to donate money, visit the Web site phassociation.org.

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