Rob and Emily Wilson/Bloom

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your incredible support of our Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Great Strides walks over the years! (And welcome, new friends!)

We’re asking for your support again because our 12-year-old friend Abby has cystic fibrosis (CF), a devastating genetic disease that can make every breath a struggle.

**We’re off to a late start with fundraising, and the walk is already less than a week away!**

This past year, Abby braved painful sinus surgery for the the third time in her life. The cold and flu season also hit her hard--Abby was at her doctor’s office nearly every other week and only narrowly avoided another hospital admission.

But Abby continues to fight CF like a champion. She sits for her breathing treatments for at least an hour and a half, swallows 13 enzyme pills to help her digest her food, and takes many other medications to deal with all of the havoc that CF wreaks on the rest of her body, including her sinuses, stomach and liver. Before anyone sees her in the morning, she's already spent at least an hour taking care of her medical needs. This is Every. Single. Day.

Though Abby keeps fighting, the median life expectancy for her and others with cystic fibrosis remains at just 41. We say it every year, but it bears repeating: Abby is in a race against time.

Your past donations have already helped develop drugs that address the cause of certain types of CF, effectively curing those with certain genetic mutations--just not the type Abby has. She’s old enough now to understand that time is running out. Your donation today will help fund the development of the next life-changing drug, the one that can cure Abby’s CF before it’s too late.

Thank you again for your support--it means so much to us and to Abby and her family.

Love,
Emily, Rob, Maia and Phoebe

P.S. Please check if your company offers matching donations--many do!

http://fightcf.cff.org/goto/RobandEmilyforAbby