Birmingham City University’s City Campus, . The School of Health Sciences was hosting its annual Open Day for Healthcare Students, where real-world stories would bring textbooks to life. Among the day’s highlights was a special guest: Jackie, a retired taxi driver and former patient who had completed pulmonary rehabilitation after years of struggling with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Jackie had a warmth that filled the room before she even spoke. Her bright scarf, neatly styled hair, and confident stride defied every stereotype of a patient with advanced lung disease. She wasn’t there for sympathy—she was there to educate, empower, and inspire.
Over the course of three hours, Jackie shared her story with more than 200 university healthcare students, in rotating sessions held in the campus’s open learning zone. She recounted her journey from the days when getting out of bed left her gasping, to now—where she could walk through her local park, climb a flight of stairs, and even dance a little at family gatherings.
Before pulmonary rehab,” Jackie told the attentive students, “I thought my life was closing in. I was scared of moving, scared of breathlessness. But once I joined the program, I learned how to breathe again—properly. Efficiently. Confidently.”
She broke it down for the students:
- How aerobic training helped her walk further with less breathlessness.
- How strength exercises enabled her to lift groceries and do chores.
- How education sessions taught her about medications, managing flare-ups, and using energy wisely.
- And how breathing techniques—like pursed-lip and diaphragmatic breathing—helped her regain control when panic threatened to take over.
The students were riveted—not just by the science, but by the humanity in her voice In the final session, a student nurse approached Jackie. His voice was quiet, but his words struck a chord.
My dad has COPD,” he said. “He just stays in the house now—he’s scared to do much. No one’s ever mentioned pulmonary rehab to us. But when I go home, I’m going to talk to his GP and ask for a referral.”
Jackie reached “That’s why I’m here,” she said. “If I can help even one family find the hope I found, then these years of breathlessness will have meant something.”
As the open day ended, Jackie stood at the exit, speaking with students, answering questions, offering leaflets about the pulmonary rehab program. Several students took notes; others took photos with her.
Paul Mills the cofounder of pulmonary rehabilitation awareness week, smiled as he watched Jackie engage with the crowd. “This,”, “is the kind of learning that no simulation lab can replicate.”
And so, on a university campus in the heart of Birmingham, a former patient became a teacher—her message carried not just by words, but by lungs that had once struggled for every breath and now spoke with strength, compassion, and purpose.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation Awareness Week June 15-19, 2026 #pulmonaryrehabweek26
Pulmonary Rehabilitation Awareness and Benefits 