Kay Swift

Hi, my name is Kay Swift and I would like to introduce myself. I was diagnosed with Alpha-1 in 1994. I had been going to doctors for years with terrible headaches but didn’t know I couldn’t breathe. Finally, I saw a doctor who did a chest x-ray, put my finger in an oximeter and tested me for Alpha-1. At the time, I was living at an altitude of 7,200’ and ended up on oxygen 24/7.

I moved to Rolla, Missouri to breathe easier due to the lower altitude and to get on a transplant list. In 2002 I married a fellow Alpha and between us we have seven children and eight grandchildren. My husband and I share so much – we are always trying to learn more about Alpha-1 and pass that knowledge to anyone willing to listen.

I was previously employed as an office manager/personnel director for a not-for-profit research and development organization in Laramie, WY. In 1999, I joined AlphaNet as an AlphaNet Coordinator. I have been very active in support groups in many states and help get Alphas together whenever I can. I enjoy road trips and I am known for stopping to see Alphas wherever I go, even if I am on vacation. I am very active in my church but also get great pleasure from just having quiet time at home.

Working with AlphaNet has been a positive change in my life and has given me so many opportunities. It is truly more than a job! It is an opportunity to give back and help others who are going through many of the same challenges in life! It is important for every newly diagnosed Alpha to understand that life should not stop because you have Alpha-1. It hasn’t for me.