My Great Strides Story
My sweet & salty Boston was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at just seven days old. She is just 1 of nearly 40,000 people in the United States have cystic fibrosis: a progressive, genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs.
The average life expectancy of someone with cystic fibrosis at the time of her diagnosis was 34 years of age! The terrifying news just kept coming for our little family. At 8 days old it was confirmed that she was completely pancreatic insufficient, which we would soon find out that a large portion of people with CF are as well.
The terrifying, gut wrenching news kept coming. By her 2nd Birthday, Boston was diagnosed with chronic liver failure, another common complication of having CF. Learning that liver failure is the third leading cause of death among people with CF was a gut punch that I think I’m still trying to recover from. For years it felt like Boston was walking around with some sort of an expiration date above her head. These feelings started to pass as we saw how dedicated & passionate the CF Foundation was about raising money to fund research, treatments & therapies to help people with CF live longer & healthier lives… and eventually find a CURE!
Working alongside the CF community, the CF Foundation has fostered the development of more than a dozen CF treatments and helped add decades of life for people with CF. Yet, many people with CF do not benefit from existing therapies. Our vision is a cure for every person with cystic fibrosis – a life free from the burden of this disease – and we will not leave anyone behind.
You can support our fundraising for a cure!
By supporting my fundraising goal, you have an opportunity in your lifetime to be part of ending this disease. Please consider joining us and help make medical history.
Thank you for taking time to read this, for donating & for showing up for our family.
Please come walk with “Bringing It For BOSTON” this Saturday & show her she is NOT alone in this lifelong fight with CF!
Much love,
Ashley Olvey
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IMPORTANT NOTE ON ATTENDANCE AT FOUNDATION EVENTS:
Updated July 5th, 2023
The CF Foundation is committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of individuals attending Foundation events. Individuals attending CF Foundation events must abide by the Foundation's Event Attendance Policy www.cff.org/attendancepolicy, which includes guidance for event attendees living with cystic fibrosis.