PATHS roots go back to 1982 when Chris Lang married John Furneaux. John was diagnosed in 1964 with Eisenmenger's Syndrome, an untreatable heart defect which ultimately caused lung problems. Together they waited for medical science to catch-up. In the mid-80's heart-lung transplants began and John got on the list.

      During six years on the transplant list they learned what the post-operative recovery would be like. Nothing went according to plan following the surgery in 1989. They faced comas, numerous surgeries, frequent long hospital stays, and kidney failure. Never complain your spouse is hard to get gifts for - Chris gave John a kidney on their 9th anniversary.

      In 1993 they learned John had chronic lung rejection. His health started downward in Fall 1994, and in June 1995, 11 days shy of his 55th birthday, John went home to the Lord after saying his final good-byes to loved ones.

      John's journey was difficult, and he was often completely unable to speak for himself. Chris learned medical advocacy during crises in ER's, ICU's from Boston to Minneapolis. Since then Chris helped others as patient advocate. However, Chris realized she can only help a handful of people through advocacy, but through training on the many lessons thrust upon her over the years, she could help more people and so the idea for PATHS was born.