Kris Ward

The Ward family walks and fundraises and fights for our own  little angel (most days!) living with CF,  J.J. aka John “Solo” (Born May the 4th, 2020).  JJ was born via c-section, and sent to the University of Iowa where he went into surgery the next day to removed more than 1/3rd of his small intestine as there was a blockage that twisted up and necrotized his bowel. A few days later, he was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, which came as huge surprise to all of us, as we were totally unaware that CF was a gene carried in our families.   JJ spent a good amount of time that first year at U of I NICU, and  we all learned a LOT of information about a disease that we knew nothing about.

One thing we learned that because of all of the funding and research that has gone into CF, especially over the past 10-15 years, children and adults with CF can now live much better and healthier lives due to advancements in treatments and medications.   JJ will turn 4 this May, and has grown from off the charts (not in a good way) to the 92nd percentile for his weight. He has an extensive medical routine and Jake and Tara are constantly working with the medical professionals who implement and help develop different treatment plans for him. There is a long road behind J.J., his parents and sister and still a long road ahead with Cystic Fibrosis.  We fundraise, we walk, we raise awareness so that JJ and so many others living with CF can receive life changing treatment options. Help us make the letters "CF" stand for "Cure Found!"