Barbara Giguere

My Great Strides Story

This year, we walk to raise money in memory of Audrey, who passed away 8/8/19 at the age of 25. No family should have to go through what we have. Please honor Audrey's wishes in helping to raise money and awareness by joining our team so that someday, a cure for CF can be found.

From Audrey's obituary:

     On August 8, 2019, a bright light went out as Audrey Clark, age 25, of Shelburne, passed away, a month and half shy of her 10th anniversary of her second double-lung transplant. She was best known for her bad sense of humor and sarcasm, her “literalness” and her compassion for others. She persevered through all the struggles that came her way from Cystic Fibrosis (CF). She surpassed all the expectations from her various medical teams, always forging forward.
     After her first double-lung transplant in 2007, the month before her 13th birthday, Audrey built a snowman, learned how to ride a bike and enjoyed swimming (things she couldn’t do with her failing lungs). When she rejected the transplanted lungs two years later, she declined quickly and had a trache placed to help her breathe. When the call for the second double-lung transplant came in 2009, she had just walked many laps around the hospital unit, after getting her trache downsized to a mobile unit.
     After her second transplant, Audrey was able to graduate from Franklin County Technical’s Carpentry program and go on to Greenfield Community College to earn her Business Certificate of Management. Audrey’s dream was to own her own woodworking business. While at the Tech school, she did lots of projects in the Carpentry department – some bigger ones were helping install the gym floor, making picnic tables for a senior housing project and a futon, tv stand, and coffee table for home use. She loved building with her hands. Along with woodworking, she also created jewelry that was sold to raise money to find a cure for CF, which started as a church project.

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. 

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.