O.C. Activist to Be Honored for Work With TB

GARDEN GROVE — A former nurse who was inspired by her asthmatic daughter to fight lung disease and by her son who has AIDS to become a full-time activist against that deadly disease was honored this week by the American Lung Assn.

A panel of judges from throughout the country named Pearl Jemison-Smith the first recipient of the Emily Bissell Lung Health Award, named for the woman whose turn-of-the-century crusade to help tuberculosis sufferers led to the Lung Assn.’s Christmas Seals campaign.

Jemison-Smith was honored for helping to create the Orange County-based Tuberculosis Coalition and for helping to develop and distribute a TB guide for college campuses. She is also a founding board member of the county AIDS Services Foundation and former chairwoman of the county’s HIV Planning Council.

“The fact that it’s a nationwide award is really, really thrilling to me. And coming from Orange County, I appreciate that the county is being recognized as much as I am for the work that we do here,” Jemison-Smith said. “The TB coalition is really an incredible group of individuals, of volunteers.

“I think if people would try it, they would see that instead of sitting in front of the TV, you can do something worthwhile and feel good about your life.”

Her four children are grown, but Jemison-Smith, 59, has not stopped helping people. She has been involved with the Lung Assn. for 25 years, since she first worked in the respiratory and intensive care unit at UCI Medical Center. She started volunteering at the age of 12, in Essex, England, where she grew up.

She credits her work with the Lung Assn. for schooling her in nonprofit work. It was an education she drew on when she devoted herself to the AIDS fight full time--a fight that took her to Sacramento last year to push for more funds for AIDS research.

That and other work have earned Jemison-Smith a string of awards. They include the American Lung Assn. of California’s Pottenger Award and last year’s Volunteer of Distinction honor in health from the Times Orange County.

Jemison-Smith is co-chairing next year’s AIDS Walk Orange County, which has raised $3 million for AIDS research and care since she helped found it 12 years ago.

“When I die, I want people to say, ‘She made a difference,’ ” Jemison-Smith said.