National 'Our Lungs Make Our Lives' awareness campaign
demonstrates how our lungs are the real champions of
athletic excellence, and of life's everyday moments
TORONTO, July 17,
2024 /CNW/ - Ready. Set. Breathe, Canada. Something exciting is in the air as
the Lung Health Foundation (LHF) teams with Olympic
champion and lung health advocate Maggie
Mac Neil for a "breathtaking" multi-platform
national awareness campaign just in time for the Paris Summer
Games. Canada's trusted go-to
public resource for lung health has partnered with the 100m butterfly gold medalist – one of 3.8 million
Canadians who live with asthma – to make waves showcasing how our
lungs are the real champions of athletic excellence, and of life's
everyday moments.
"The Lung Health Foundation belongs to all
Canadians, no matter where you are with your breathing or lung
care."
Not just for elite athletes, our lungs are vital to all of us.
One in 5 Canadians lives with some form of lung disease and there
are an estimated 1.6 million who don't know they have a lung
condition. Of those who have asthma, including 850,000 children,
almost 30% have missed out on life experiences because
of uncontrolled symptoms. That adds up to a lot of lost
moments and dropped dreams.
Maggie, who's worked hard to manage sports-induced asthma on her
way to gold, headlines 'Our Lungs Make Our Lives', Lung
Health Foundation's first national outreach that celebrates,
uplifts and motivates us to think about the 22,000 breaths our
lungs take on average each day, understanding how they fuel
singular and collective milestone moments, from blowing out
birthday candles (one breath) to rocking a baby (521 breaths) or
cheering on a favourite sports team (352 breaths) – to even
becoming a champion like Maggie (212,947,234 breaths). It's the
breathtaking truth.
The campaign hopes to inspire Canadians to think about their
lungs and as a result, give them the daily attention they deserve,
starting with movement, avoiding tobacco and vaping products and
reducing exposure to air pollution. Think of it as daily
maintenance for our lungs, just like dental hygiene is for our
teeth.
"Every second of our lives is influenced by our breath, yet it's
often unnoticed until compromised," says Mac Neil, the passionate lung health advocate
and LHF brand ambassador who has lived, thrived and won races with
asthma since being diagnosed at 17 after a meet in Singapore. "I'm thrilled to support this
campaign, celebrating the power of our lungs and promoting
healthier respiratory habits. The Lung Health Foundation belongs to
all Canadians, no matter where you are with your breathing or lung
care."
The campaign website and videos launched in early July, leading
up to the Olympics with social and paid media exposure that
includes national TV spots, YouTube and static imagery.
Building on a 100-year healthcare legacy to tackle evolving
respiratory health challenges in Canada
The Lung Health Foundation, built on the 100-year healthcare
legacy of the Ontario Lung Association (OLA), underwent a
transformative rebranding in 2020 to tackle the evolving landscape
of respiratory health challenges across Canada. This bold move wasn't just about a new
name, says LHF President and CEO Jessica
Buckley. "It was a strategic shift to get all Canadians
thinking about their lungs. We are here with our programs to
alleviate ongoing health concerns like COPD, asthma and lung
cancer, and address growing national threats like youth vaping,
wildfires, radon, poor air quality, influenza and other respiratory
infections. We are working to expand our reach to benefit all
Canadians, not just those with existing lung conditions."
LHF also leads demanding lung health policy and advocacy work,
including the Breathe Change Policy Forums, and serves as
secretariat of the National Lung Health Alliance, creating
actionable solutions to manage the burden of lung disease on
patients and their families in Canada and to advance a smoke-free
generation.
The awareness campaign further reflects Lung Health Foundation's
vision to move the dial in lung health; to encourage a new
generation of caring donors to take interest in overall lung health
and research, and to remind Canadians that healthy lungs are a gift
that shouldn't be taken for granted.
"Moments define our lives, and the strategy of this campaign is
to spotlight those moments and how they connect to our breath,"
says LHF Marketing VP Laura
Sikorski. "With Maggie, we follow her journey from child
athlete to Olympian and lung health advocate, focusing on the
breathtaking moments that define her success, enrich her life and
give her purpose."
Making respiratory fitness relevant to everyone
This approach, adds Sikorski, best connects the dots between
lungs and life's precious moments, making respiratory health
relevant to everyone. A standout feature of the campaign is the
integration of a breath counter throughout each asset that
highlights the daily work our lungs do for us, without us even
noticing. "We want to remind Canadians of the significance our
breath has in everything we do, whether we're taking a moment to
relax or experiencing life's big milestones, all made possible by
the work of our lungs."
A key priority of the campaign is to encourage all Canadians,
including those without health issues, to prioritize their lung
health through the Foundation's programs, research, and advocacy
efforts. "If you know that you owe your life moments to your lungs,
you might pay more attention to caring for them daily," she
explains.
The connection drives home the message that lung care should be
an essential part of everyone's daily routine, positioning the Lung
Health Foundation as an accessible resource for all Canadians in
their journey to breathe easier and live fuller lives.
Learn more at https://www.breathtakingtruth.ca/
The campaign is also informed by the insights of a recent online
survey of more than 2,000 Canadians in the campaign regions
conducted for Lung Health Foundation by Edelman Data and
Intelligence, with respondents sourced through the Leger Opinion
panel.
Survey Insights:
- While 80% of respondents strongly agree that lung care is
important, only 14% think about their lung health daily.
- Just 24% of respondents are confident that you can have an
active life if you have a lung condition.
- 94% of respondents agree more needs to be done to educate
people about lung health
- Nearly three-quarters of respondents recognize that lung
conditions significantly impact quality of life.
- While in general, 3 in 5 respondents say they have or are
planning to make lifestyle changes to better protect their lungs,
only 2 in 5 or fewer are committed to taking concrete action.
- Younger respondents and visible minorities are most likely to
have already taken or be planning to take action to improve their
lung health.
"We're shifting the paradigm," says Buckley. "Our research
indicates a gap between the public's understanding of lung health
and proactive measures to maintain it. 'Our Lungs Make Our Lives'
aims to foster a culture of proactive lung care for everyone and
highlight the breathtaking truth abut what our lungs do for
us.
About Lung Health Foundation
The Lung Health Foundation (LHF) is a non-profit
organization dedicated to ending gaps in the prevention, diagnosis,
and care of lung disease in Canada. One in five Canadians is affected by
lung disease, underscoring the critical importance of LHF's work in
influencing health policy, advocating for patients, increasing
awareness, and raising funds for patient programs and support. It
invests in the future by driving groundbreaking research and gives
individuals with living experience, and their families, the
essential programs and support they need today. Building on the
legacy of the Ontario Lung Association (OLA), which for over a
century served as the recognized leader, voice, and primary
resource in lung health, LHF has expanded its efforts nationally.
To learn more, visit lunghealth.ca or for further
assistance email info@lunghealth.ca. Visit LHF on
Instagram @lunghealthfoundation, Facebook at
lunghealthfoundation/, and on X
at @LungHealthFdn.
SOURCE Lung Health Foundation