Cory passed away on August 16, 2004 from acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP). AIP is a type of interstitial pneumonia that comes on suddenly and with great severity. It has no known cause. AIP is also known as severe interstitial lung disease, idiopathic adult respiratory distress syndrome, and Hamman-Rich Disease. Individual viruses or combinations of viruses may be responsible for interstitial pneumonia

Interstitial pneumonia is a confusing and frustrating disease for both the treating physician and for the diagnostic pathologist. Initially, the diagnosis is pneumonia with physicians recommending rest and antibiotics to assist the body in overcoming this virus. Within a few days patients may experience respiratory complications necessitating critical care and ventilator support.

The prognosis for people with acute interstitial pneumonia varies based on the type of disease they have. However, in general terms the prognosis is poor, with 87% of patients dying from causes related to this condition. Most patients with interstitial pneumonia die within 6 months to a few years because of lung or heart failure. The average length of survival is four to six years. Patients with acute interstitial pneumonia may die quickly even with supportive therapy. The average person with AIP lives for only 1 to 2 months.

About 1.2 million people are hospitalized each year for pneumonia, which is the third most frequent reason for hospitalization (births are first and heart disease is second). Together with influenza, pneumonia is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and is the leading cause of death from infection. Every year, more than 60,000 Americans die of pneumonia.