Peterson Peterson

Dear Family and Friends,

It's that time of the year again!  Hope you can join us on May 18th, for Team Peterson's 16th Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis at Ida Lee Park in Leesburg!  We are excited to bring together everyone to celebrate the successes of the foundation, to say thank you for your ongoing support, and hopefully get a little exercise along the way!

It's hard for me to believe it has been 16 years.  Catherine is an official driver and in her sophomore year of high school! She ran for her high school cross country team in the fall and is a team manager for her high school softball team.  Thankfully she is doing well and doing a good job of managing her diabetes.  She finally made it to the 50 percentile for her weight and her pulmonary function tests remain at a solid 82%.  A day I never imagined we would see!  

I wrote to you back in the fall regarding her big sister, Hailey, and her friends Bella Mandanis and Sophia Stravrou who organized the first high school walk for Cystic Fibrosis for their DECA club, called Step for CF.  They not only raised over $10K for Team Peterson they also placed first in this years Virginia State Competition and will be heading to California at the end of this month to compete again at the International level!  Needless to say we are so proud of these girls and appreciate how they are bringing awareness to this life threating disease.  

Each year we have new members to our Great Strides team. For those of you who do not know about Cystic Fibrosis, I would like to share some information with you. Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States. Approximately 2,500 babies are born with Cystic Fibrosis each year in the United States.

In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 40s and beyond.

We are very fortunate Catherine qualified for a medication that has truly been life changing.  However, this medication is not available to all of the CF Community.  This is why we will continue to walk, so that we can raise awareness and that with your help one day CF will stand for Cure Found! 

Together, we are adding tomorrows to the lives of people with Cystic Fibrosis.

No words can ever be enough to express our gratitude not only for what you are doing for Catherine but for all those who live with Cystic Fibrosis.

We hope to see you on Saturday, May 18th, 2024! 

Much Love,

Team Peterson