CALGARY - Former Alberta premier Ralph Klein says he's 'alright' but friends say he is very sick.
People close to Klein, 68, told QMI Agency he suffers from the serious respiratory disease known as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). It is a disease with no cure.
Hal Walker, president of the Wildrose Alliance and a long-time close friend and adviser to Klein, said the man who was Alberta's premier for 14 years is "not well."
"My heart aches," Walker said. "As he's coming to this point in his life and having some health issues we should celebrate what a great man he is. He's hurting and we should gather around and show him how much we appreciate him."
Walker called Klein a "fallen warrior."
"Every time I see him I want to hug him. He believed in Albertans and he believed in the greatness of Alberta," Walker said.
Klein is a smoker and his illness is an open secret in certain circles in Calgary.
Sources close to him say Klein is finding it more difficult to do the things he loves, like fishing and golfing.
He has gone through a battery of tests. He has a tough time concentrating and has been known to lose his train of thought. He has experienced some memory loss and delayed reactions.
COPD is a umbrella term used for progressive, long-term lung diseases often attributed to smoking and refers commonly to bronchitis and emphysema. In 2008, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported more than 700,000 Canadians had been diagnosed with COPD.
The Canadian Lung Association says on its website that emphysema gets worse over time if you continue to smoke or breathe dirty air.
Emphysema can cause recurring chest infections, including pneumonia, the flu (influeza), cold and the common cold; pulmonary hypertension which means unusually high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs; and can lead to heart failure.
Klein, however, insists it's not as bad as it sounds.
"I've got emphysema. I'm doing alright," he said in a statement through spokesman Rod Love.
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