Eleven years ago, Peggy Chung never imagined she’d one day be boarding a plane to Singapore to attend a family wedding. Back then, her future felt uncertain.

In 2014, Peggy was pregnant with her first child — a time of great joy and anticipation for her and her husband. But that happiness quickly turned into a scary situation. Just 17 weeks into what had been a healthy pregnancy, she became ill and developed a fever. Over-the-counter medications didn’t help, and her symptoms only worsened. Her doctor initially suspected pneumonia.

Unable to rest, her appetite disappeared, Peggy was not improving. Urged to go to the ER, proved to be a timely recommendation. That night, during a coughing fit, Peggy passed out after coughing blood. She was rushed to the ICU, where her oxygen levels plummeted and she was diagnosed with a rare condition called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Her condition was so dire, she was airlifted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in the prone position. Upon arriving at John Hopkins a pneumothorax was identified, and Peggy was given a chest tube to stabilize her.

Peggy was near death multiple times during those terrifying weeks. Her husband was forced to consider impossible decisions — including whether doctors should prioritize her life or their unborn daughter’s if it came to that.

While on life support (ECMO), Peggy developed preeclampsia before ultimately requiring a C-section. This harrowing experience is documented as the first U.S. case of a person giving birth while on ECMO.

Their daughter, Ingrid, was born at just 24 weeks and one day. Ingrid’s own stay in the hospital lasted nearly five months.

After her delivery, Peggy underwent a CT scan and blood testing. Yet each were inconclusive. A lung biopsy finally gave Peggy an answer: LAM (lymphangioleiomyomatosis), a rare lung disease that she had never heard of.

That diagnosis changed everything. At that time, the life expectancy of LAM patients was only five years. A devastating discovery for a newly formed family.

Today, Peggy is grateful. Her daughter is doing well and heading into middle school. Peggy sees Dr. Joel Moss at the NIH and has benefited from expert LAM care. She is not currently on oxygen — not even while exercising — and she’s determined to live as fully as she can.

She’s grateful to the LAM Foundation for giving her the tools to take control of her condition. The Foundation’s handbook was one of the first resources that helped her understand her disease and treatment options. Staying connected to virtual education sessions and LAM communities on social media has helped her stay informed, especially when new symptoms or issues arise.

In fact, when Peggy developed sudden eczema on her hands, it was a post in a LAM Facebook group that helped her identify a likely cause: a change in the distributor for her sirolimus prescription.

Her journey hasn’t been easy — it’s been filled with uncertainty, fear, and profound resilience. But Peggy’s story is also a story of survival, community, and the power of information.

As she reflects on her path, Peggy is filled with gratitude — for her daughter, her health, and the global LAM community that helps make each day feel possible.