April's co-host is Angela McBride, director of corporate relations and community engagement at the Alpha-1 Foundation (A1F).

This month, we're also introducing a new segment - Ask the Alpha Doc, where various Alpha-1 specialists will answer your questions about Alpha-1 lung and liver disease. This episode, our guest doctor is Robert A. Sandhaus, MD, PhD, FCCP, from National Jewish Health in Denver, CO.

For our feature interview, we sat down with Jonathan Maidment, a 23-year old Alpha, who raised more than $56,000 for the A1F’s research programs hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2014.

Now for 2018 the challenge has become bigger, as he is getting ready to hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), also as a fundraiser for the A1F. The PCT is a long-distance hiking trail aligned with the highest portion of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges.

To follow and share Jonathan’s hike along the PCT, please visit facebook.com/hiking4acure

Proceeds from the fundraising activities relating to Jonathan will be dedicated to research and programs of the Alpha–1 Foundation to find a cure for the rare genetic condition Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.

To contribute, visit alpha1.org/maidment