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 COPD International   Your International Support Network

You can learn to control this disease instead of letting it control you!

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Welcome to the permanent home of
Bill Horden's COPDadvocate

Bill Horden, and his COPD Advocate, have been beacons of hope for thousands of people who have been diagnosed with COPD.   His profound insights and great writing skills provided not only a source of timeless information, but the hope and will to live for the afraid, scared, newly diagnosed COPD sufferer..  One of his messages is one of the most quoted phrases within the COPD support community.

COPD is not a death sentence!

Bill's philosophy and drive are best illustrated by the following quote from his website:

I offer these thoughts:

If you have a debilitating chronic disease, it's only logical for you to be fearful, depressed, frustrated, angry, and to suffer a deep loss of self-esteem. It's even understandable to feel you have the right to some self-pity. But you also have the right to redirect those energies toward managing your disease, and I'd like to help, if I can.

Several times each week, I receive letters or e-mail's that say, "I want to tell you how much it helped me to read an article I wrote, or a message I posted on an Internet forum, or other material they found through this site. I know I can't change the world, but it is a wonderful feeling to know that I've made the path a little more friendly for even one other person. [You might say it is my way of "lighting a candle, rather than cursing the darkness."] As long as I feel I'm succeeding at that, this site will continue to grow and, hopefully, improve.

In the quote above, he refers to "lighting a candle".  Bill Horden's efforts and writings have lit far more than a candle.  His drive and fire, passed on through his writings, have lit torches - inspiring others to follow his pioneering efforts.

Regretfully, due to health problems, he could no longer maintain his website and newsletter.  However, Bill and his family delegated that task - -  the task of perpetuating his writings, and continuing the growth of the COPD advocate to us here at COPD International.  We were proud to have been chosen for this.  Bill thought all of his works were lost, and that they would not be seen again.  We were extremely pleased that we were able to open the Bill Horden Wing of our library prior to his death on March 30, 2003.

We have maintained as much of the former look of the website as we can.  With the exception of outdated writings, which have been archived for you to see for their historical value, the pages are basically the same as they would be if Bill was maintaining them himself. 

One of the quotes, passed on to me from his family, is Bill's hope that his work would be like a tree.  That it would grow branches - spreading branches of hope and support.

Bill Horden's COPD Advocate is far more than a tree  ----  It is truly a forest!

cg