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Becky H.’s Story						Español (Spanish)							Print
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										Becky sitting in a chair breathing oxygen from her oxygen tankMeet Becky H.Becky was a high school exchange student living in Germany when she started smoking cigarettes. She thought smoking helped her fit in with her host family members and new friends. Over time, she discovered she had trouble quitting.
At age 45, Becky was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—a serious lung disease that gradually makes it harder and harder to breathe. She continued smoking cigarettes after her diagnosis. Then, as she was leaving work one evening in 2012, Becky was unable to catch her breath. She tried not to panic, but knew she needed immediate medical help. Becky remembered waking up in the hospital’s intensive care unit and facing the fight of her life.
Becky needed continuous oxygen to help her breathe, but she was grateful that she quit smoking. She helped educate others about the dangers of smoking and encouraged people who smoke to quit. Becky said, “Whenever I had a craving, I said to myself, ‘I choose not to smoke today.'” Becky died in 2023 at age 62 from COPD.On This Page
			Becky H.'s VideosBecky H.'s BiographyMore About Becky H.Additional ResourcesMore Related Stories
		
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Asian Smokers’ Quitlineexternal iconBecky H.’s VideosBecky H.’s TipLow Resolution Video
Becky started smoking cigarettes in high school to fit in. She was a heavy smoker for many years and at age 45, Becky was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—a serious lung disease. In this ad from CDC’s *Tips From Former Smokers*® (*Tips*®) campaign, Becky talks about her need for continuous oxygen. Becky died at age 62 from COPD.Becky H.: It Goes With MeLow Resolution Video
Becky smoked for years and had end-stage COPD. In this video from CDC’s *Tips From Former Smokers*® (*Tips*®) campaign, Becky shares how her life changed after she developed COPD. Becky died at age 62 from COPD.On This Page
			Becky H.'s VideosBecky H.'s BiographyMore About Becky H.Additional ResourcesMore Related Stories
		
Free Quitting ResourcesTelephone
1-800-QUIT-NOW
1-855-DÉJELO-YA (Español)
1-800-838-8917 (中文)
1-800-556-5564 (한국어)
1-800-778-8440 (Tiếng Việt)Smartphone Apps/Text
Text QUITNOW to 333888—Message and data rates may apply
quitSTART appexternal iconWeb
Quit Smoking (En Español)
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Asian Smokers’ Quitlineexternal iconBecky H.: Not What I PicturedLow Resolution Video
COPD doesn’t just affect the person who has it; it can affect the entire family. In this video from CDC’s *Tips From Former Smokers*® (*Tips*®) campaign, Becky, explains that her children had to deal with her disease since they were very young and shares how her COPD changed their lives. Becky died at age 62 from COPD.Persons with disabilities experiencing problems accessing these videos should contact CDC-INFO at CDC-INFO email form: https://www.cdc.gov/info, 800-232-4636 or the TTY number at (888) 232-6348 and ask for a 508 Accommodation PR#9342. If emailing please type “508 Accommodation PR#9342” without quotes in the subject line of the email. Please include the URL of the site in the Subject line of your email request that you would like to access.
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View the *Tips*YouTube video playlistTop of PageBecky H.’s Biography
Becky started smoking cigarettes when she was a high school exchange student living in Germany. Some of her host family members and new friends smoked, she said, “so I started smoking to fit in.”
After graduating from college in Ohio, Becky attended law school to pursue her dream of working as a public defender.
Becky
For the next several years, Becky had bouts of bronchitis and a nagging cough. She tried to quit smoking but she found she couldn’t make herself stop, despite warnings from her doctors that smoking could harm her health. “I just didn’t want to hear it,” said Becky.
At age 45, Becky was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—a lung disease that gradually makes it harder and harder to breathe. Still, Becky continued to smoke.
By 2012, Becky often felt out of breath and had no energy. “I couldn’t swim and I couldn’t keep up with my kids. I was slower than molasses,” she recalled. One day, while leaving work, she couldn’t catch her breath. Frightened, she called 911. When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics immediately gave Becky oxygen to help her breathe. The next thing she remembers was waking up in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
After she was released from the hospital, Becky saw a lung specialist. He shared some grim news with her: Becky would need a lung transplant. “I wasn’t expecting any of this. That absolutely floored me. I just didn’t see it coming,” Becky said.
Becky tried to stop smoking cigarettes, but she continued to take an occasional puff or two. She soon realized that in order to live, she had to quit. “I finally put cigarettes down for good when it became obvious to me that the dang things were really going to kill me. They had already stolen so much from me; I was not going to let them kill me outright,” said Becky.
Becky eventually quit her job to focus her time and energy on pulmonary rehab. Pulmonary rehab is an intensive medical program designed to help people with breathing problems and can include:
Education about how to manage one’s lung condition
Energy-saving techniques
Breathing strategies
Exercise training
Nutritional counseling
Counseling and/or group supportAlthough Becky remained smoke free, she needed to take her oxygen tank with her wherever she went. She appreciated the lifesaving benefits continuous oxygen provided her. “The oxygen gives me freedom. It allows me to get up and do things, instead of staying in bed all day.”
Becky regretted that she put her family through such a difficult ordeal—particularly her children. “It’s not the childhood for them that I pictured. It’s certainly not the teenage years that I pictured,” she said.
Becky was passionate about the importance of seeing a doctor if you have any symptoms of COPD. Because of her own experience, she was open and frank with others about the health risks associated with smoking. When people asked about her oxygen tank, she said, “I just tell them straight up: ‘You know, it helps me breathe. And it’s because I smoked.’” Becky died in 2023 at age 62 from COPD.
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More About Becky H.Becky's Tips Print AdPrint AdBecky H.'s Tip [PDF – 830 KB]Top of PageAdditional ResourcesWoman in wheelchair receiving oxygen from a tank.COPDGet the FactsTop of PageMore Related Stories
More Real Stories about COPD:BrianMeet Brian H.Geri M.Meet Geri M.Leonard N.Meet Leonard N.Michael F.Meet Michael F.MichaelMeet Michael P.See all *Tips*Participant StoriesTop of Page
							
					
							Last Reviewed:  July 19, 2023						Source: 	Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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