Kate Slavin

My Great Strides Story

Dear Friends,

My sister Elisa had her second child on October 8th, 2015 – a beautiful boy named George Giffin Chelius.   Two weeks after he was born, he was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis -- a chronic terminal illness that damages the lungs and digestive system.   

Our family has been on this journey with George for over eight years now, and we have dedicated ourselves to finding a cure and have learned much about “CF”.  CF makes it difficult to breathe and nearly impossible to digest and absorb food.  CF patients must endure treatments every single day – no days off, no exceptions – just to remain healthy.

Cystic fibrosis shortens the lives of those who have it.

So what does a day in the life of little George look like?  This sweet, smiley, smart, brave, adventurous eight-year-old boy must take dozens of pills daily just to absorb his food, inhalers to breathe easier, physical therapy to break up the mucus in his lungs, and increased caloric intake to make sure he continues to gain weight.  Despite this daily grind, he still smiles and laughs through it all, and our whole family continues to stay positive. 

Real progress has been made in the search for a CURE -- and we have seen that progress firsthand with new treatments and medications that allow George to fight this disease -- but until the dream of a cure becomes a reality, the lives of people with CF will continue to be cut short.  In the hopes of advancing the amazing research being done in search of a cure, our family has created Team Super George to support George’s battle with cystic fibrosis. 

Join the fight.

Nearly every CF drug available today was made possible by support from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the generosity of its donors.  By joining our team and donating today, you can help fund life-saving research and medical progress.

Your support can help save George’s life.

Help our family add tomorrows for our precious George and all others living with cystic fibrosis.  We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

With love and thanks,

Kate D'Angelo Slavin