Saving Grace

Dear Friends:

Over this past year I have felt the blessings of your support in so many ways. I graduated from law school, took and passed the bar exam, and have started my first job as an attorney. These are life-long goals I have always wanted to accomplish and because of Trikafta they have actually happened. In many ways it feels surreal to have gotten this far. As I hit each one of these milestones, I was constantly reminded of the community I came from who helped put me in the position to achieve such great things. I credit you each time I take a step toward my future and away from cystic fibrosis.  I could not have done this alone and even with the continued promise and positive changes in the CF community, I still need your help.

This past year was also the first time I ever got the flu, and it really knocked me back. I am lucky to work with caring, compassionate people who allowed me to prioritize my health during those few weeks so I could get back on my feet. While I didn’t develop pneumonia this time, I was certainly on my way to developing it when I finally started my course of antibiotics. Without acting quickly in response to my symptoms, another hospitalization would have been in my future.

This year was also the first time that I had to understand the challenges of working a full-time job while having a chronic illness. When applying for positions, I noticed how greatly my priorities differed from that of my friends. My main concerns were finding a position that had great insurance that covered all my medications (which is actually a challenging thing to find) and working with people that would be accepting of me and my disease. I knew if I was treated as a number that my health would decline. Many of my friends rarely thought about the health insurance provided by their employer or whether their health would suffer due to their job. Watching them apply for jobs made me think about a life without CF. I dream about feeling that kind of freedom someday.

I hope that you will continue to support me in my goal of finding a cure for CF. I believe that a bigger and brighter future is just within reach. Please join me on May 4th at Caldwell Zoo at 9:30 am for the Great Strides Walk.  Please wear orange (To the A&M supporters: any shade works, it does not have to be burnt) to celebrate my graduation from law school at UT and the start of my new job at UT Tyler (which also happens to be the home of our only CF Center in this region of Texas). Both of these institutions have supported me and my journey with CF and I can’t think of any other color that expresses how bright, colorful, and happy I feel about my future, knowing that they are my past and present.

I appreciate all that you have done to help me get to where I am today, and I hope that you will continue to support me and the CF community. See you at the walk!

Sincerely,

Grace Knight