Recognition: Memorials



In Memory of Carol Aserinsky, Lynn Schaeffer, & Pat Klecha


In Fondest Memory

Three important people at the heart of PHCentral were Carol Aserinsky, Lynn Schaeffer and Pat Klecha. They were there at the beginning pouring hours of effort, talent and skills into what would ultimately become this website - a world-wide resource for PAH information and support. They helped many people along the way both one-on-one, through PAH Support Groups and through their vision to build a PAH online community.

We are grateful to these women and applaud the contributions they have made to the PAH community. We will never forget them.
 

Carol Aserinsky

Lynn Schaeffer Pat Klecha
Carol passed away on
November 9, 2001		 Lynn passed away on
November 26, 2003		 Pat passed away on
December 26, 2001
 

From Dennis Stenshorn, PHCentral board member:

Pat Klecha was the first person I met from the PH support group in Cleveland. Carol LoRe introduced me to the idea of joining the group and before long I was talking to Pat and was invited to attend the next meeting.

When we met Pat, it was easy to see she was a very caring person. What impressed me most about her was how she did not let PH slow her down. She gave me better information than what I had found on the internet, and she was genuinely concerned that I get good medical care. She always pushed the fact that I should see someone who treated PH and said she would help me get appointments to any of the doctors in Cleveland.

I met Carol Aserinsky and Lynn Schaeffer both at the first annual dinner of the Cleveland support group. Lynn had lived in Rochester for a long time but had since moved to be closer to her family. We enjoyed talking about the things she missed about Rochester. Carol and I talked a little and I found her to be very concerned that better information be made available to the PH community.

After dinner Pat invited us to her house and that’s when I learned more about the plans for starting a website they named PHCentral. It was a year later at the support group dinner that PHCentral went online for the first time.

I’m grateful to have met these three amazing and brave women who, in spite of being sick themselves, made it a priority to help others to be better informed about PH, help anyone who wanted it and helped make the ones who were scared, upset and confused about PH, understand things better.

 

In the photo below, many of those involved in the creation of PHCentral are gathered at one of Pat Klecha's annual support group luncheons. Pat lived in Ohio, and people came from far and wide, including from Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin and Washington state, to attend this luncheon. It was during one luncheon weekend, at Pat's kitchen table, that we held our first official group meeting to plan PHCentral.

PHCentral Group photo

Back, from left: Corey Frix; Kathryn Max (now Frix); Lynn Schaeffer; Dick Knotts; Jeannine Knotts; Dennis Stenshorn; Michael Szczepkowski; Armond Aserinsky.
Front: Carol LoRe; Pat Klecha; Carol Aserinsky;
 
Read Comments (5)   •    Make a Comment