Tammie Babbitt

James turned 21 in November.  Team Salt Licks started doing Great Strides shortly after James was diagnosed, make this our 20th year participating in Great Strides. 

James and I went to Disneyland to celebrate his 21st birthday. 

The last time James and I were at Disneyland together he had to keep asking us to stop so he could catch his breath. He was struggling to walk from Space Mountain to Small World. I was terrified.

The appointment he had a few days later revealed his lungs were functioning at about 50% capacity- his lowest lung function ever.  He was hospitalized for the 38th time. There was talk of the possibility of needing a lung transplant in the next 5-10 years. 

Here we are... about 5 years later. James and I were walking quickly across Disneyland days after his 21st birthday to make it to Rise of the Resistance on time when he casually remarked, "It's so nice not to be out of breath!"  He could not understand why I nearly burst into tears. 

THIS is life changing!

THIS is what we've been praying for and why we've been participating in Great Strides all these years.

James is currently studying to be a High School Chemistry Teacher.  He wants to inspire the next generation of scientists like the ones at Vertex who persevered to produce Trikafta, James's life-saving drug.  This semester his classes include Organic Chemistry, Biology, Calculus, and Physics.  

We keep walking even when James is healthy because we want every individual with CF to have an experience like James's.

Trikafta doesn't work for everyone with CF.

We're in this until it's done. For everyone.