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Laura Dern's Promise: Honoring Mom's IPF Fight
28 Jan
Summary
- Laura Dern honored a promise to her late mother by raising IPF awareness.
- Her mother, Diane Ladd, battled idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis for over seven years.
- The campaign Beyond the Scars aims to help families facing lung disease.
Actress Laura Dern is honoring a posthumous promise to her mother, Diane Ladd, by championing awareness for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
Ladd, a celebrated actress herself, was diagnosed with the terminal lung disease in 2018 and given only three to six months to live. She passed away at home in November, over seven years after her diagnosis, with Dern by her side.
Dern's commitment stems from a pact made with her mother to educate others about IPF, a condition causing irreversible lung scarring. Ladd experienced significant delays in diagnosis, often being misidentified with other ailments.
Through the Beyond the Scars campaign with Boehringer Ingelheim, Dern aims to share her mother's journey. She emphasized her mother's demand to make a difference, stating, "if it can help one person, it matters, and now you're gonna do it for me."
Dern recounted her mother's fiery spirit, comparing her approach to life and acting to her advocacy for IPF. Ladd actively participated in her own care and encouraged others, even in virtual rehabilitation groups.
The mother-daughter duo embarked on painful walks to maintain Ladd's lung function, which inspired their joint memoir, "Honey, Baby, Mine." These moments led to deeper conversations and a desire to share coping strategies with families.
Despite the challenges, Ladd experienced meaningful family moments, including attending her granddaughter's graduation and creating memories. Her decision to publicly share her diagnosis with the world, even while reliant on oxygen, deeply moved Dern.
