5-Year-Old Nico Celebrates Four Years at Great Strides

Five-year-old Nicolas is happiest running around playing tag outside, going to soccer games, and naming facts about dinosaurs to anyone who will listen. In between typical childhood activities, Nicolas vigilantly takes his enzymes and keeps up with his airway clearance and nebulizer schedule.

“He is a fighter and never complains,” said Nicolas’ mom, Astrid. “He has never been hospitalized for CF-related issues, which is quite a feat for someone his age. He’s not scared of anything, but at the same time is really sensitive and caring.”

Diagnosed at birth, Nicolas has been celebrating his birthday each year alongside his Great Strides team, Lake Nona 2018. Introduced to Great Strides through her company, Astrid is thankful for every opportunity to fundraise for her team through work events and support from her coworkers.

Nicolas’ family has helped him stay strong emotionally and physically, encouraging him to have a positive outlook on life with CF. “He and his grandfather have such a strong bond,” she said. “After researching CF, he bought Nicholas a recorder to play, and is teaching him how to swim to keep his lung function strong.”

Celebrating their fourth year at Great Strides, Astrid and her family remain excited about the progression of medical developments and finding a cure for Nicolas’ mutation, Delta F508. “Great Strides is a great way to meet other parents who are going through the same thing. You are able to talk, learn, and get advice for first-time moms who aren’t familiar with CF and have gone through this already.”