Ty Pennington is a paid spokesperson for Insmed.
You may know Ty Pennington as “America’s favorite carpenter.” The host of a popular home makeover TV show, Pennington wowed audiences with his design and woodworking talents.
He’s also demonstrated great compassion through community service and dedicating himself to helping build homes for families in need, among other initiatives.
What you may not know is that Pennington is also a loyal caregiver to his mother, who has a serious and chronic lung disease called bronchiectasis (BE). “For nearly 20 years, my mom has been living with bronchiectasis,” Pennington says. “As someone who has supported a loved one with this disease, I understand the emotional and practical challenges families face when dealing with chronic respiratory illness.”
To raise awareness of this progressive lung disease, Pennington teamed up with Insmed as a paid spokesperson for Suspect Bronchiectasis (Suspect BE), an initiative that helps people living with unresolved respiratory symptoms, like COPD and asthma, to better understand bronchiectasis and talk with a pulmonologist to see if additional testing, like a CT scan, could help rule out or confirm bronchiectasis.
For Pennington, the mission is personal: He hopes sharing his family’s story will help others recognize the signs of bronchiectasis sooner and seek answers.
What is bronchiectasis?
Bronchiectasis, or BE for short, is a chronic, progressive lung disease that can worsen over time and may lead to lung damage. It occurs when your airways become permanently widened, making it hard to clear mucus and bacteria.
“Bronchiectasis is often associated with symptoms like a persistent cough, excess mucus production, and recurrent chest infections,” says Colin Swenson, M.D., a pulmonologist who directs the bronchiectasis program at Emory University in Atlanta. “People living with bronchiectasis can also experience exacerbations, or flares, which is when symptoms suddenly get worse. These can occur frequently, and recovery can sometimes take several weeks.”
Around 500,000 adults in the United States are diagnosed with bronchiectasis and experts believe many others may be living with the disease without knowing it. “Unfortunately, diagnostic delays are common among people living with bronchiectasis,” Dr. Swenson explains. “This may be because symptoms of bronchiectasis can overlap with COPD and asthma. This can make it challenging to determine an underlying cause, which is why proper testing, like a CT scan, is crucial.”
Pennington’s journey supporting his mom
Looking deeper is central to Ty Pennington’s approach to raising bronchiectasis awareness.
Before learning she had bronchiectasis, Pennington’s mother was diagnosed with COPD and asthma, making it harder to reach the right diagnosis. “My mom lived with unresolved respiratory symptoms for many years before she was diagnosed with bronchiectasis,” he says. “Like many families, it took time for us to fully understand what was behind her symptoms.”
The Pennington family was determined to find the source of the problem. “I like to think about it this way: Houses can be a lot like lungs. Sometimes you have to look behind the walls, check the foundation, and dig deeper,” Pennington says, drawing on his experience in home renovation and design. “If something isn’t working, you don’t just paint over the problem. Lung health isn’t that much different. If symptoms keep coming back or don’t seem to improve, find an expert who can tell you what’s really going on.”
Pennington is in awe of his mother’s commitment to living with the disease. “She’s one of the strongest people I know. Watching her deal with breathing challenges, hospital visits, and the uncertainty of not always knowing what was going on has had a big impact on our family,” he says. “Even when things were difficult, she continued to live life fully with humor and determination, and that’s something that really inspired me.”
What caregivers should know
Supporting someone with bronchiectasis starts with being educated about the disease. “One thing I try to help caregivers understand right away is that no two cases of bronchiectasis look the same,” Dr. Swenson continues. “Because of this, I recommend working with the care team to build an individualized plan that includes how to recognize an exacerbation and what to do when one happens.”
“A diagnosis isn’t the end of the story, but a starting point for building a personalized routine that works for your body and lifestyle,” Dr. Swenson says. “Many people living with bronchiectasis find that consistency with their daily management plan, paired with open, ongoing communication with their care team, helps them stay ahead of exacerbations and maintain a sense of control over their disease rather than feeling controlled by it. The road can be a long one, but bronchiectasis can be managed long-term.”
His mother’s health journey inspires Pennington’s work with Suspect BE.
Those with bronchiectasis also face challenging emotions. “It’s important for caregivers to understand that there’s a psychological burden that can come with bronchiectasis symptoms,” Dr. Swenson says. “People living with bronchiectasis often just want to be heard—by their doctors and by their loved ones. They want to feel like someone truly understands what they’re going through and cares about how it’s affecting their life. In my experience, someone with bronchiectasis is often dealing with more than what’s visible on the outside, so it’s important to offer support even when someone might seem fine.”
Pennington has seen that firsthand through his mother’s experience. “Her resilience is a big reason I wanted to help raise awareness about this disease,” he says. “I hope Suspect BE helps more people learn about bronchiectasis as a serious lung disease that may hide in the shadows of other respiratory conditions like COPD and asthma. I also hope that it encourages those living with unresolved respiratory symptoms to take them seriously. If it inspires someone to have a conversation with a pulmonologist and get closer to understanding their health, then it’s doing exactly what it’s meant to do.”
Visit SuspectBE.com to learn more about bronchiectasis, including the signs and symptoms to watch for.
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