Our Mission

Vision Statement

All people with lung diseases can breathe easy and thrive.

Mission Statement

To help others breathe more easily through access to oxygen appropriate to their needs. Our focus is Advocating, Informing and Reforming through raising awareness, promoting policy changes, and educating patients and providers about supplemental oxygen and lung diseases–especially Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) and Bronchiectasis. We work hard so others can breathe easy.

Our Major Programs

Producing a Portable Oxygen Concentrator (POC) brochure with a list of currently manufactured FDA-approved POCs. Click here for our POC page.
Advocating for the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act to pass Congress, allowing people better access to the type and amount of oxygen they need. Click here to learn more about the SOAR Act.
Hosting webinars with the leading experts in Bronchiectasis, NTM and PCD giving updates and highlights from the top conferences throughout the world. Click here to see our upcoming webinars. Click here to see our past recordings.
Producing supplemental oxygen educational pieces including webinars on POCs and webpages with resources for flying with oxygen. Click here to see our flying with POC webpage.
Producing a monthly newsletter that lists upcoming events, webinars and other educational opportunities, sharing research and resources, and updates on issues of importance to the community. Click here to sign up for our newsletter. Click here to see past newsletters.

Our Values

Integrity

We communicate openly and transparently as a way for people to make informed decisions about their respiratory health.

Empowerment

We educate people to give them the confidence to identify and manage the best treatments and supplemental oxygen for their needs.

Caring

We are passionate about people being able to live their best lives with the appropriate equipment and treatments.

Collaboration

We believe the supplemental oxygen and bronchiectasis communities are stronger when related patient advocacy groups work together.

How We Started

In July of 2013 our founder, Mary Kitlowski, and her sister, Rebekah, were prescribed supplemental oxygen. Their lung capacities had deteriorated due to their rare disease, Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD). Mary received a call from Rebekah who was in tears. Her oxygen company had made their first delivery. Rebekah, who worked part-time as a nurse practitioner and had two small children at home, told the delivery person that there weren’t enough tanks to get her through the week at work. The delivery person replied “People on oxygen don’t work.”

Mary realized that the one size fits all approach to supplemental oxygen and attitudes needed to change.

It wasn’t until October of 2014 that Mary formally started Running On Air, just a few days before participating in the Army Ten Miler.

Our Bigger Vision

Mary’s vision for Running On Air is a big one. Some of the things she envisions for the future are:

Stores or facilities where supplemental oxygen users can go to see what their options are and meet with a consultant who can discuss what the best equipment for them is.

Having a lawyer and consultants available to help patients with insurance questions and issues.

Having actual races to go along with our virtual races.