With my cousin!
Most of you know that I was born with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, sinuses, and intestines. To stay healthy, I have to spend at least an hour a day inhaling medications to break up the thick mucus in my lungs and keep the bacteria that have lived there for almost 30 years there under control. I also take dozens of daily pills, take insulin injections throughout the day for my CF-related diabetes, and spend lots of time doing my "second job" tracking down doctors, prescriptions, appointments, and insurance.
It's been an exciting last few years in the CF community because of the approval of a new class of drugs which would not have been possible without the support of the CF Foundation. These drugs work to target the underlying cause of CF, whereas all our previous therapies have only addressed the effects of CF. I've been fortunate enough to use this class of drugs for the last 8 years. I've spent the last 3.5 years on the newest breakthrough drug, Trikafta, which has changed my and many of my peers' lives. My lung function is the best it's been since I was a child; my breathing is much easier; I cough a lot less; my digestive system works better; my sinuses are much healthier; and overall, my health is the most stable it has ever been. Trikafta is an absolutely incredible drug, and I and many others who have access truly have a new future ahead of us thanks to the decades of relentless research paid for in part by your donations to the CF Foundation.
But we are not done.
Trikafta is amazing, but Trikafta is not a cure. My daily life has been dramatically changed by Trikafta, but I still have basically the same medical regimen I did before. In fact, I got CF-related diabetes in 2020, so I have even more drugs to take. I still get sick sometimes, though Trikafta has made that much easier to treat. And even though my lifelong sinus disease has been much easier to treat, I still needed a sinus surgery in 2021. I very much still have CF.
And importantly, Trikafta is not for everyone. Some people cannot tolerate Trikafta. And some people don't have the right genetic mutations to allow Trikafta to work. The CF Foundation is committed to finding life-changing therapies for all patients with CF and is attacking the science from many different angles. We have several exciting clinical trials that have started recently or will start soon.
We must continue working until everyone can experience what I now have - a chance at a healthier and longer life.
Money buys science, and science saves lives. Your donations to the CF Foundation fund transformative research that will help work towards longer lives, fewer pills, and more time doing what we love.
