Steve Byrnes

Hello, my name is Steve Byrnes and I would like to introduce myself as your AlphaNet Coordinator.

I live in Chalfont, Pennsylvania where I enjoy golfing, DIY projects, exercising almost every day, and trying to get better at playing bass guitar. I have two grown children who are out on their own. As a young boy, I lived in northern Indiana, and later I grew up in central New Jersey. I was active in my school marching and concert bands, played baseball for many years, and ran cross country in college for the University of Maine. These days, I try to visit my “camp” in central Maine and catch up with college friends as often as I can.

I worked for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for 34 years as a Hazardous Waste Site Mitigation Specialist/Environmental Scientist. During my time there, my annual pulmonary function test results continued to decline, even after I had quit smoking for some time. Subsequently, I was tested for Alpha-1 by a pulmonologist. I was diagnosed as a ZZ Alpha and I have been on augmentation therapy since August 1991.

Over the past four decades since my diagnosis as a ZZ, I have continued to stay active and take care of my lungs and my general health. I am grateful that I was diagnosed early and for the tremendous resources available to all of us through AlphaNet and the Alpha-1 Foundation. I am happy to be a part of the AlphaNet family.