Jeanne Rosenbaum

Welcome back for the 4th year of Luca's Gladiators at Great Strides

We know the last few years have not been easy for anyone, but one thing was for sure, Luca’s Gladiators never stood down and never gave up for our sweet boy!

In late 2019, the CF community had the biggest breakthrough yet with the approval of the three-drug combo drug called Trikafta that has proven to be life-changing for those living with Luca’s mutation of the CF gene. Even people with end-stage lung failure are benefiting from this drug. It truly is a miracle.

As of June 2021, they have now approved Trikafta for the 6-11 yr. age range; This is incredible news! News like this could not be made possible without donations like these and the hard work of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - West Florida Chapter! While we wait for Luca to be able to take this miracle drug we started his first CF modulator drug back in June of 2020 called Orkambi. He takes his medication twice daily to reduce the chance of him needing intravenous antibiotics and to encourage weight gain. He still struggles with weight gain, but we are hopeful he will turn that around soon. This boy loves steak. He is our little warrior!

Luca is now 3 1/2 years old if you can believe it! He is enjoying school two days a week and loves his new found friends. If you know him at all, you know he is obsessed with dinosaurs. He has created quite the collection and can school you on any dinosaur you ask him about (name, what they eat, etc.). He loves his family more than anything, especially his big sister "Ani-anna". He is such a delight to everyone he meets. He loves to talk and hold conversations with any stranger he comes around. His favorite activities nowadays include playing with dinosaurs (obviously), going to the zoo, going on airplanes, and playing with his friends. He does not let his diagnosis slow him down in the least and still is such a champ when it comes to vest treatments, airway clearance and taking his medicine. We love watching him grow up!

We are very hopeful for an in-person walk again this year being held on April 30th, 2022 to celebrate Luca and our amazing team of Gladiators that support us and this amazing cause!

With your continued support our little team has raised over $31,000 to date!!!

Please consider joining our team as a walker, virtual walker (that’s right you don’t need to be near to be on our team), or donating to one of our many wonderful Gladiators so we can continue to stride towards a cure for cystic fibrosis. Soon we know CF will stand for Cure Found!

Thank you and love to you all!
The DePalos and Luca’s GladiatorsFor too long, cystic fibrosis, a rare, genetic disease, has robbed people of tomorrows – progressively limiting their ability to breathe and tragically shortening life. There are approximately 30,000 Americans living with CF. They are moms, dads, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, friends, and co-workers who struggle every day in the face of this devasting disease.

I walk for them. Will you join me and support my Great Strides fundraising goal?

Real progress has been made for those who have CF, but there is still no cure for this devastating disease and many lives are cut far too short.

By walking with me in Great Strides, you can help accelerate the Foundation’s pursuit of new therapies and provide vital support to meet the needs of the CF community.

Please support me! 

Your participation will help us get one step closer to ending this terrible disease. Let’s make CF stand for Cure Found.