Meals a “pleasant surprise” for underweight COPD client

It’s hard to imagine something as simple as breathing increasing your caloric needs, but this is the reality for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are also underweight.  Mary, a client referred to Project Angel Heart by her social worker at National Jewish, is one of these people.  For Mary, and others like her, breathing requires a great deal of energy. Because of this, it is essential that her caloric needs are met to prevent wasting or muscle weakness.

As a Project Angel Heart client, Mary receives a weekly delivery of healthy, nutrient dense meals, as well as breakfast items to help Mary work toward her goal weight. While a healthy diet will not cure COPD, it can help to increase a patient’s energy level and improve their well-being.

“I’d like to thank you for Project Angel Heart meals,” said Mary. “I am so pleasantly surprised with the quality and quantity of food that they brought me this past Saturday. Each meal was a surprise and each one was delicious! They even brought milk! For the first time in years, I had a full tummy feeling and it was comfortable. No more force feeding!  I’ll never say never, but it’s much easier to eat something when you can tell what it is by looking at it. A person can never be too humble. I am so grateful.”