Well add another one I have had Asthma since I was 10 months old. Had Emphysema by the time I was 15 and now COPD. It came from both sides of my family. More so from my DAD's the WEST's. The Dr's. say it is inherited "through" the men. However it is inherited, I also personally think "environment" has ALOT to do with it . I lived in a coal mining town and we burned coal. The old steam engines chugging by belching out the smoke and cinders every little bit. There also was a tram road, for the cars to go into deep mines, and beside it where a few had wrecked and dumped the raw coal over the sides of the hill was a big "gob" pile. This gob was not really coal but it burned and it would catch on fire and burned for years. It smelled of sulphur very strong so I had ALOT of things that compromised my health. By the way COAL MINING has really changed and things are not like that now. I am proud to be a Coal Miner's daughter. Marlene