Cara Shook

In February of 2010 my niece Caylee was born with a small bowel obstruction and was operated on at only 3 days old. At 4 days old we found out Caylee had Cystic Fibrosis, a life-threatening lung disease. We were all devastated, but over time we have learned to live with her disease and manage it. Caylee takes 6 medications and over 12 pills a day. She spends over an hour a day undergoing chest percussion therapy and breathing treatments. She is also on a very high calorie diet since its so hard for people with CF to gain weight and has to have extra salt everyday. Caylee has not had any lung problems so far, however Cystic Fibrosis is a progressive disease that gets worse over time. Lung damage is the primary reason for death in most CF patients. This is why it is very important for Caylee and everyone around her to practice good hygiene and keep her has healthy as possible. While Caylee had a rough start to life, her early diagnosis has allowed for her treatments to start immediately after birth. This gives us the confidence that Caylee will be able to fight this disease until a long awaited "control" or even a cure for the disease is found. Through it all, little Caylee is a fighter and always seems to have a smile on her face!

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Help me reach my fundraising goal by donating to my Great Strides fundraising campaign. Your gift will help add tomorrows to the lives of people with cystic fibrosis by supporting life-saving research and medical progress. Your gift is 100-percent tax deductible.