Lauren D'Amato

So I have cystic fibrosis (CF). My brother also has it. I was diagnosed at the age of 8, but I've had this disease since I was born. It is a genetic disease that affects the lungs and the digestive system (especially the pancreas and the liver). CF causes both of them to be filled with very thick mucus so it makes it hard to breath and digest food. We started a new medication, Trikafta, about December 2019, which has definitely helped alleviate these symptoms so they are tolerable. It is not a cure though and has many side effects that can affect us as well.
In order to stay as healthy as I can, I do 2 breathing treatments a day and an hour of the percussion vest to break up the mucus in my lungs in order to get it out. I can get away with doing half of my treatments some days, but I don't do it very often. I take about 32 pancreatic enzymes a day in order to digest my food and absorb the nutrients it the food as well. I take about 30 more pills just to supplement what I'm not absorbing. It is a tricky disease to treat and each person is different (even siblings that each have it as well).
There are approximately 30,000 Americans living with cystic fibrosis. They are moms, dads, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, friends and co-workers who struggle every day just to breathe.
Real progress has been made in the search for a cure, but the lives of people with CF are still cut far too short. There still is no cure for this devastating disease. Great strides are being made and a few medicines are being developed and tested to treat the underlying cause of CF and the specific genes that affect the disease. It's not a cure, but it is getting there. By walking today, I am helping add tomorrows to the lives of people living with cystic fibrosis. Will you join me? Support me by making a donation to my Great Strides fundraising campaign today!
Great Strides is a fun, family-friendly event that raises awareness and support for people with CF and their families.
Please support me!
Help me reach my fundraising goal (and more!) by donating to my Great Strides fundraising campaign. Your gift will help add tomorrows to the lives of people with cystic fibrosis by supporting life-saving research and medical progress. Your gift is 100-percent tax deductible as well!

My Great Strides Story

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.

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.