Amy Greenwell

My Great Strides Story

Hi there!

My name is Amy. Leila Sky is my daughter and light of my life. <3

Leila was born with a genetic and life shortening disease called Cystic Fibrosis (CF). 

What is Cystic Fibrosis? 

Cystic Fibrosis is a progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time.

In people with CF, mutations in the cystic Fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene cause the CFTR protein to become dysfunctional. When the protein is not working correctly, it’s unable to help move chloride -- a component of salt -- to the cell surface. Without the chloride to attract water to the cell surface, the mucus in various organs becomes thick and sticky.

In the lungs, the mucus clogs the airways and traps germs, like bacteria, leading to infections, inflammation, respiratory failure, and other complications. For this reason, minimizing contact with germs is a top concern for people with CF. People with CF cannot come in close contact with each other as they may share bacteria and risk colonization of the other person’s bacteria. 

In the pancreas, the buildup of mucus prevents the release of digestive enzymes that help the body absorb food and key nutrients, resulting in malnutrition and poor growth. In the liver, the thick mucus can block the bile duct, causing liver disease. In men, CF can a"ect their ability to have children.

How you can help:

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has made extraordinary progress — including fostering the development of more than a dozen CF treatments — but these treatments are not a cure and not everyone can benefit from them. There is no government funding, the life expectancy has continued to grow through the years by donations alone. There is still a lot of work to be done. I believe in Leila’s lifetime, we may see a cure. We will not stop until its done!

By donating to my fundraising goal, purchasing team apparel, or simply joining our team - you will help advance our mission to a cure for all. Please consider joining us and helping make CF stand for Cure Found. <3

To purchase official 2024 Leila Sky's Lucky Star apparel, follow the link below!
https://www.customink.com/fundraising/leilaskysluckystars

Leila means 'night' in Hebrew. Her middle name is ‘sky’ in English. 

My goal is to fill our night sky up with as many lucky stars like you as possible. Let’s fill the canopy of hope with as many luminous lucky stars as we can! The more lucky stars, the more tomorrows Leila and the thousands of people living with CF will have. 

Stardust and moonlight,

Amy