Karen Samper

Hi, my name is Karen Samper and I would like to introduce myself as your AlphaNet Coordinator.

I lived in various parts of the world as a child, including two years in the Philippine Islands and one year on the island of Guam. My father was in Civil Service working for the Navy.  As an adult I settled in beautiful northeast Nevada where I raised my two children. I have 2 grandchildren and 1 great grandson.

I love to quilt, I never walk out of a fabric store without at least a small purchase, and I love to fly fish and go camping.

After losing my husband to kidney failure in 2013, I decided to winter in sunny Arizona. I became sick with a lung infection in January of 2014.  My doctors said I had COPD and just learn to live, or die, with it.  I found I could not breathe in my Nevada home at 6000 ft elevation so I relocated permanently to Arizona.  In October of 2017, I finally went to a pulmonologist on my own and the first thing he wanted to do was test me for Alpha-1 and I was found to be a MZ.  I started infusing in December 2017.  I started feeling better after about 6 months of augmentation therapy.

I am very fortunate to be able to help Alphas understand Alpha-1 better and live a fulfilled life with Alpha-1.  My coordinator was a blessing to me, and I hope that in my role as an AlphaNet Coordinator I can also be a helpful to other Alphas.