Yankees Legend on Father’s Rare Disease: ‘We Didn’t Know What Was Wrong’

Bernie Williams, a former Major League Baseball star turned advocate, has made a lasting impact on the lives of many through his work in raising awareness about interstitial lung disease (ILD). His advocacy journey is deeply personal, rooted in the experience of losing his father, Bernabé Williams Sr., to a rare form of ILD known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2001. Williams’ story is not just one of triumph on the baseball field, but of perseverance and compassion off the field, as he helps others navigate the challenges of living with this disease. A Personal Battle: Losing His Father to IPF Williams’ father was a pivotal figure in his life, from teaching him how to play baseball to nurturing his love for music. In his prime, Bernabé Williams Sr. was active, energetic, and fully engaged with life. But as Williams recalls, everything changed when his father began exhibiting unexplained symptoms. “He was very active. But at some point, we noticed he was getting a lot more tired than usual and developed a dry cough that wouldn’t go away. He started feeling fatigued, and all the things he used to do without a problem became a struggle,” Williams tells BlackDoctor.org....