Passing the Baton, Jenna Lowe Trust Hands Over Its Mission to PHA SA

Photo Credit: Jenna Lowe Trust

The Jenna Lowe Trust hands over its mission to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association of South Africa, ensuring Jenna’s legacy of awareness, care and advocacy for PH patients continues.

South Africa (12 August 2025) – Picture a young woman with a smile that could light up a room, her voice steady even as her lungs fought for every breath. In 2014, 20-year-old Jenna Lowe invited the country into her world through the #GetMeTo21 campaign, a heartfelt appeal for organ donors and a plea for more awareness of pulmonary hypertension (PH), the rare and life-threatening lung condition she had been diagnosed with.

Jenna’s courage and clarity made her unforgettable. Her campaign reached far beyond South Africa’s borders, touching hearts around the globe. And while her journey ended far too soon in 2015, just before her 21st birthday, her impact was only beginning.

In her memory, her parents, Gabi and Stuart Lowe, founded the Jenna Lowe Trust. Over the past decade, it has been a lifeline for PH patients in South Africa, championing earlier diagnosis, advocating for better treatment, and connecting global experts with local medical teams. The Trust established the dedicated PH Clinic at Groote Schuur Hospital, giving patients access to care, breathing equipment, and vital mobility support.

Now, in August 2025, that mission enters a new chapter. The Jenna Lowe Trust is passing the baton to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association of South Africa (PHA SA), an organisation built on shared passion, lived experience, and a determination to keep pushing for better outcomes for PH patients.

“The time has now come for the work of the organisation to evolve under the leadership of the PHA SA, which is a natural home for the Trust’s programmes,” says Gabi Lowe. “Jenna will always be the face of PH, and her story will live on with every PH patient who is helped. We are so grateful for all the support we’ve had over the years — our donors, the local and international researchers, and medical practitioners who have joined us in the fight against this cruel disease.”

The handover means the Jenna Lowe PH Clinic will continue under the care of its dedicated coordinator, Nurse Hilary Barlow, while the award-winning documentary Get Me to 21, The Jenna Lowe Story, keeps sharing Jenna’s voice across Africa on Showmax and Multichoice channels for the next three years.

PHA SA chairperson Callista Greeff, also a parent of a child with PH, sees this as a natural continuation of the work already done:

“The care and support that Sister Hilary gives to patients really makes all the difference. Adding the Jenna Lowe PH Clinic to our portfolio strengthens our mandate and voice. We’ll keep advocating for our patients, creating awareness in South Africa and beyond.”

For Sister Hilary, the rise in referrals and earlier diagnoses has been deeply encouraging:

“It was Jenna and Gabi’s wish that knowledge of PH would improve to prevent the kind of misdiagnosis and delayed treatment Jenna experienced. I’m grateful to continue supporting patients and their families around South Africa and Namibia.”

As PHA SA steps into this role, it is building fundraising capacity, planning November awareness events, and creating training materials for medical schools and nurses. Partnerships with physiotherapists are helping patients stay active and improve their quality of life.

Callista sums it up:

“The enduring legacy of the Jenna Lowe story is that it changed the game for PH in South Africa. Boundaries of care shifted because one family refused to give up. As we take on this new mandate, we are committed to building strong foundations for patients, caregivers, and the medical community. We can go further together.”

For more information about PH and to support their work, visit the Pulmonary Hypertension Association South Africa.