Julie Bartucca

Why I Walk

You wouldn't think it would be a thrill to learn that the Make-a-Wish Foundation removed Cystic Fibrosis from their list of automatic qualifying conditions, but last year that news made me smile. CF is no longer the death sentence it once was. The one it was when my husband Jordan was diagnosed in the late 1980s. This is thanks in large part to the groundbreaking work of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and its venture philanthropy model, which uses funds raised to fund research at drug companies in search of a cure for CF. These drug companies have created incredible, lifesaving treatments for CF patients, most notably Trikafta, which treats the underlying cause of the disease for the majority of CF patients.

Nearly 40,000 people in the United States have cystic fibrosis: a progressive, genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. My husband Jordan is one of them, and the work of the CF Foundation has vastly improved his life, eliminated his previous persistent cough, and given him the energy to chase our incredible little boy, Jack. I am so grateful that because of these breakthrough medications I have more hope that my husband and I will grow old together.

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 me!

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.