In August 2005 Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast states with devastating force, lashing the coast with 140-mile-per-hour winds and producing overwhelming floods. It was one of the most destructive natural disasters in U.S. history.

In the affected region were 77 members of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), 39 AASM-accredited sleep disorders centers and labs, and thousands of sleep disorders patients. The American Sleep Medicine Foundation (ASMF) board of directors quickly responded by establishing the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Fund.

It was critical that sleep medicine providers be able to address the sleep needs of residents in their battered communities, and ASMF grants helped speed up the process of repairing and rebuilding damaged sleep facilities. More than 90 individuals and companies donated nearly $47,000 to make these grants possible.

In the aftermath of the storm, many patients with obstructive sleep apnea were without the therapeutic equipment they desperately needed. Another 24 generous contributors came forward to provide more than 1,300 pieces of equipment for these patients.

The ASMF shipped the donated equipment to five distribution centers in Louisiana and Mississippi. Dr. Andrew Chesson, AASM Past President and Medical Director of the Louisiana State University Sleep Disorders Center in Shreveport, La., provided invaluable assistance in the coordination of this effort.

The ASMF appreciates the united show of support from the sleep medicine community and the rapid response of everyone who contributed to the relief fund.

CONTRIBUTORS View a list of contributors who gave to the ASMF Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Fund.