Actress Rose McGowan Named Ambassador for Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis in Fight Against Disease That Claimed Her Father's Life

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Motion Picture and television actress Rose McGowan, perhaps best known for her roles on TV's long-running, Charmed, and the 2011 motion picture, Conan the Barbarian, among others, is taking a lead role in a profound real life drama.  In 2009, she lost her father, artist Daniel McGowan, to Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF), an incurable lung disease that has no cure and no FDA-approved treatments, and which kills more than 40,000 Americans each year…as many as breast cancer.  She's now taking a lead role to build awareness to fight the disease and working with the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF).

On Friday, December 16th, McGowan will post a message about her work with the CPF and the need for increased awareness for PF on her Facebook page.  The post will be live at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time at http://www.facebook.com/RoseMcGowan. 

As CPF's Ambassador and Chair of The Daughters of PF campaign, a new program of the CPF, a 501C3 non-profit foundation, McGowan plans to help generate wide public awareness about PF, which has thus far been little known to the broad U.S. public. In so doing, she intends to use her celebrity to shine a spotlight on PF, much as other prominent individuals have done for diseases such as AIDS, breast cancer, Parkinson's, and others.   

For those stricken with PF, the lungs become scarred to the point that they can no longer make the necessary blood-oxygen exchange necessary to breathe and eventually causes patients to suffocate.  Currently there is no PF treatment approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and there is no cure. McGowan, having witnessed personally the cruelty of the disease, has committed to taking a prominent role in the national effort to fight PF.

"Pulmonary Fibrosis is a horrible, horrible way to go.  It makes me quite angry that not a lot of people know about it.  I want to help change that," said Rose McGowan. 

"We are honored that Rose is taking on this cause and helping give patients and families a voice in fighting this horrible disease," said Mishka Michon, CEO of the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis.  "Because she has been directly affected by PF through her father's illness and death, she has a unique perspective and personally understands the plight of patients and their families.  Her efforts will contribute to forever changing the landscape for this little known killer disease, and her celebrity, talent, and energy will serve to not only build needed awareness of the disease, but it will also help lead to developing successful treatments and eventually a cure." 

As the Chair of the Daughters of PF and an Ambassador for the CPF, McGowan will help raise public awareness of the disease by speaking out and doing media interviews, attending or hosting public events, and interacting with PF sufferers and their families, including via social media. The Daughters of PF program inspires daughters and other family members to turn their grief and pain into action by holding awareness and fundraising efforts in their local areas.  To learn more about Daughters of PF, visit www.coalitionforpf.org or their Facebook page.    

McGowan starred as Paige Matthews in Charmed and starred in the movie Conan the Barbarian.  She has the lead role as Mary Winkler in the upcoming made-for-TV movie, The Pastor's Wife.  She also stars in a new film, Rosewood Lane.

About Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF)
Pulmonary Fibrosis (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 PF, and there is currently no known cause or cure. An estimated 48,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. PF is difficult to diagnose and an estimated two-thirds of patients die within five years of diagnosis.  Sometimes PF 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 Daughters of PF
In 2011, the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis launched a new effort inspired by the tens of thousands of daughters (and others) who have seen a parent suffer from PF.  The women involved in Daughters of PF are professional women in various fields and specialties including legal, medical, and educational.  The women are creating projects across the country and in their local areas to increase awareness and understanding of PF and also holding fundraisers to raise needed money for research and patient support services.  Their efforts are reflective of their interests and talents and will allow them to make a difference right where they are.  For more information, contact the CPF at [email protected] or call 1-888-222-8541, ext. 702. 

About the CPF
The CPF is a 501(c)(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 PF; 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 23,000 members nationwide, the CPF is the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to advocating for those with PF. For more information please visit www.coalitionforpf.org or call (888) 222-8541.

SOURCE Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis