POWERGRAMS

14 There's no worse feeling than being unable to breathe. That, Deborah Rice knows from experience. Diagnosed with asthma at 18, Rice has spent countless hours in emergency rooms as she struggled for a breath, feeling the tiny airways in her chest growing tighter. Her trusty inhaler is a constant companion. In summer 1999, while Rice lived in Columbia, South Carolina, she experienced an unforgettable attack: Somehow, deep inside, Rice felt this time was different. "I told my aunt, 'This air is really thick,'" she said. "I remembered using my inhaler and it not working," added Rice, an accountant at Alabama Power Corporate Headquarters. "I was having shortness of breath, but it was not what I was used to, to the point where I thought, 'This isn't asthma.' I ended up in the emergency room." That began Rice's quest for answers about her physical condition. She saw numerous specialists while seeking a cure. About 15 years after the asthma diagnosis, Rice's then-pulmonologist, Dr. Joseph Love in Columbia, took chest X-rays. From there, he took a chest biopsy that confirmed that Rice had pulmonary sarcoidosis (pronounced SAR-COY-DOE-SIS) of the lungs. Love commented, "I wondered if it was not asthma, but sarcoidosis all along, because normally adults aren't diagnosed with asthma." Advocating for sarcoidosis patients The rare, inflammatory disease causes immune cells to form clumps, or "granulomas," in the body and/or skin. The granulomas can cause scarring that changes the structure of the organ and affects its function. In the lungs, for instance, the inflammatory clumps can cause breathing problems and even death. In January, UAB Hospital and the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) tapped Rice as a community outreach leader through the Global Sarcoidosis Clinic Alliance (GSCA), a role she will hold through 2024. Rice eagerly accepted the challenge. Since then, she has met with many other sarcoidosis patients and seen others' symptoms, such as bone loss, weight gain and even mental health issues that arise from living with a chronic, rare disease. "This is my life, 24/7," Rice said, determination rising in her voice. "People with sarcoidosis all have different symptoms. I don't like being put in a box. Every case is not the same." As part of her role as a sarcoidosis spokesperson, Rice appeared on a flier to promote sarcoidosis awareness at 95 Walgreens drugstores statewide. During the campaign from Sept. 16-27, Walgreens customers were invited to donate $1, $3, $5 or $10 at the register. Donations supported FSR's efforts to further accelerate sarcoidosis research, as well as providing education and support programs for those impacted by the disease. On Sept. 18, Rice shared her personal sarcoidosis journey with customers at a Walgreens store in downtown Birmingham. The campaign's two-fold mission was to raise awareness about sarcoidosis and the need for people to get their seasonal vaccines in the fall. Being vaccinated is an important preventive step for sarcoidosis patients, 90% of whom have lung disease. Vaccinations can prevent complications from the flu, pneumonia, RSV and COVID. "One of the things I want this position to help with is just talking about sarcoidosis," Rice said. "Getting people to start having conversations, getting doctors to start thinking outside the box, coming together as Deborah Rice advocates for sarcoidosis patients, and a cure By Donna Cope PHOTOS BY PHIL FREE

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