Pneumonia claims the lives of close to 2.2 million people worldwide each year, including 500,000 children under the age of five. For many, the disease is sudden and devastating, leaving families heartbroken. For the Star Family, the loss became personal when their father, Richard (Dick) Star, passed away due to respiratory failure caused by pneumonia, and inspired them to donate to the Lung Association Research Institute.
Dick was known for his resilience and strong work ethic from an early age. As a 10-year-old, he worked at Borchert Field, turning stiles for the AAA Milwaukee Brewers. Later, Dick spent the summers on his uncle’s farm in Wisconsin, where he developed a passion for hard work and problem solving that shaped his successful career in the industrial tool supply business.
As a man who valued family and community, Dick’s legacy goes beyond his professional success. In 1971, after years of hectic national travel for his employer, Dick decided to step back from sales to spend more time with his family. His decision resulted in a career move that eventually led to his successful ownership of the company. In addition to now spending more cherished time with family, Dick determined that his business could be used as a platform for giving back by donating to causes that were important to him – a tradition his family continues today.
Throughout all his career success, Dick faced several major health challenges—including multiple bouts of cancer and a serious childhood injury. Dick’s ultimate battle against pneumonia proved too much, even for someone as tough as him. “As resilient as Dad was, he couldn’t beat lung disease,” said Rick, Dick’s son. “He was gone less than three weeks after being diagnosed with pneumonia, followed by pleural effusion.” The Star family hopes that no other family experiences what they went through, and hope that this story both raises awareness about the disease and funding for the research to stop it.
Pneumonia Prevention
Dick’s fast-moving illness is a reminder to other to seek medical advice if they are concerned they might have pneumonia. Symptoms of pneumonia include fever, wheezing, cough, chills, rapid breathing, chest pains, loss of appetite and malaise, or general feeling of weakness or ill health. While some people are at higher risk than others, anyone can get pneumonia, which can be very serious and can cause death.
Complications from pneumonia include respiratory failure, sepsis and lung abscess and are more likely to affect older adults, young children, those with a weakened immune system and people with other medical problems. Good health habits can help reduce the risk of getting pneumonia. Getting the seasonal flu shot and vaccination against pneumococcal pneumonia can help reduce the risk, as well as healthy habits like maintaining a healthy diet, getting adequate rest, regularly exercising and of course, not smoking.
A Family Tradition of Giving
Still grieving over the loss of his dad, Rick Star wanted to honor his dad in the most meaningful way possible, by funding lifesaving research in his dad’s name. The family’s $250,000 gift has helped to establish the Emerging Respiratory Pathogen and Infectious Disease Award funded in memory of Richard Star, in continuing with Dick’s legacy of giving.
The Star Family’s generous donation will support research within the American Lung Association’s Emerging Respiratory Pathogen program, which supports researchers advancing knowledge of respiratory viruses, such as studying the spread and treatment of viruses like SARS-CoV-2, exploring host factors that influence infections, and understanding how different communities are impacted. Through this donation, The Star family hopes to fuel research that could give others a better chance than their father had. “In his honor, our donation is intended as ammunition in the war against lung disease,” Rick said.
The story of Dick Star’s life reflects the kind of impact that donors can have when they choose to give. Rick’s gift is more than just a tribute; it’s a way to ensure that vital research continues and that others might be spared the same loss. In the end, it’s about turning family values into meaningful actions that can make a real difference in the fight against lung disease.
To learn more about how donors directly impact research, visit lung.org/donate-research, and to learn more about pneumonia visit lung.org/pneumonia.
Blog last updated: October 23, 2024
