Alissa Katz

Hi, family +  friends!

For the 24th straight year, I'll be participating in Great Strides, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's fundraising event to cure cystic fibrosis (CF).

Walking a 5k feels extremely easy for me now since my double-lung transplant at the end of 2019, but I still don't take a walk or climb a set of stairs where I don’t acknowledge how grateful and appreciative I am. Who would've thought I'd ever be excited about cardio? (Kidding, I actually hate cardio, but I can do it if I want to!)

CF doesn't affect my respiratory system the same way since my transplant, but I'm still plagued by the effects CF has on the digestive and sinus systems. I promise you that feeling constantly bloated by my inflamed pancreas isn’t a cute look on anyone.

This year, the walk in Manhattan is kind of a fun date: June 5 is also 65 Roses Day! "65 roses" is how younger patients refer to cystic fibrosis since it's a tricky thing to say. Yay, fun facts! 

You can feel good that your donation will be well spent: More than 90 cents of every dollar raised by the CF Foundation is used to support its vital programs. Shoutout to science! 

For those of you new to the cause and those who've been with me since day one, I hope you can support my efforts. My family and I — as always — offer our heartfelt thanks. 

Alissa