Megan Leffler

My Great Strides Story

My brother was a fighter. He unfortunately suddenly passed away in January due to organ replacement rejection. He was born with Cystic Fibrosis. He went 27 years with lungs that he described to me as "I am breathing through a straw all of the time." He was lucky enough to get on the donor list, and within a few weeks, he was getting new lungs! The organs that were rejected were the two brand new lungs that he was so lucky to receive. Unfortunately, his health only lasted a few years. He found a lump and it was determined that he had Cancer. He went through countless chemotherapy sessions and endless doctor visits. They said that his lungs would not be effected, but they could have not been more wrong. He ended up having to have surgery, and was then placed on oxygen. He was getting better, or so we thought.... He was taken off of the oxygen, and living his life. Unfortunately, his lungs stopped working on January 25th in his sleep at the age of 33.

If you knew Caleb, you knew he could be a jerk, but you also knew that he had a very kind and loving side. 

Nearly 40,000 people in the United States have cystic fibrosis: a progressive, genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. They are moms, dads, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, and friends who face the sobering prospect of a shortened lifespan. I walk for them.

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.

Please help support my brother, as well as all others with CF!