Lori Boswell

This year I, along with other members of Team Adam, will once again participate in the Great Strides Walk in Northern Virginia. The walk will take place at Ida Lee Park (60 Ida Lee Park Drive, Leesburg, VA) on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 10:30 am  (Check-in at  9:30 a.m.). The Great Strides Walk is a nationwide walk to fund finding the cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

As most of you know, my brother, Adam was diagnosed with CF when he was one year old. Today Adam is 30 years old and is in his eighth year of teaching at a private K-8 school in Herndon, VA. In addition to teaching, Adam is a personal trainer and owner of Performance 1st, LLC. Adam has maintained a positive outlook on life despite his daily regimen of breathing treatments, inhaled medicines and taking over 30 pills a day. With his full-time teaching position, personal training business and medical treatments, he still manages to exercise daily and takes excellent care of himself. We are so proud of him.

Over the last 29 years, there have been a couple of medical “bumps in the road”. However, 2 years ago, Adam experienced a severe medical challenge which really had us worried. We would like to share a Facebook post from Adam:

“ – my wife, Kim called 911. Before I knew it, I was being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Less than 24 hours before this I was lying down in a hospital bed in Charlottesville, VA with no answers to why I had fluid around my heart and lungs. The fluid made it harder to breath and was so present in my body I weighed 160 lbs. when normally I weigh about 140 lbs. So sure, enough after a ton of tests and 4 days in the hospital I was discharged only to find myself rushed in an ambulance to the local hospital the next morning.

Here I am a very active 29-year-old who has CF, and my body is now going into sepsis. I had no clue what was going on, but I knew I wanted it to end. As the next couple days go on, I remember multiple days and nights in the hospital wanting to go for walks so I could move around. But it wasn’t that easy. The fluid made it so hard for me to breathe normally, that just walking around the unit was struggle at times.

It wasn’t easy. None of it was. Those 3 weeks of hospital trips and stays made me think a lot about myself and my family. I never want to put my family in a position to worry. I never want to feel like I felt ever again.

But as I look back, I know that the reason I was able to come back from these moments is because of my Faith and my incredible support system: My Wife - My Family - My Friends - My Coworkers.

But as I was going back to work and getting back into my normal routine, I found it extremely hard to deal with what I had lost physically over the past month. So, I implemented a plan that I use for my clients. I decided to follow the same characteristics to my Metabolic Reboot Method that implement with my clients so that I can regain my strength, regain my energy, and even feel better in my own clothes.

Not all stories are the same and they definitely all have different paths and outcomes. But remember, it takes time, the right support and most of all it takes action.”

There is absolutely nothing in this world that will prepare you when you are told that your sibling has cystic fibrosis. In a second, your whole world is turned upside down. But you fight – you make the best of a horrible situation. That’s why I do whatever I can to promote funding and finding a cure for this disease. We are so blessed to have such a strong support group: family, friends, doctors, and nurses.

There is no cure for CF. CF is the most common fatal genetic disease in the United States. A defective gene causes the body to produce abnormally thick mucus. This mucus leads to chronic lung infections and interferes with digestion. Tremendous medical advances are being made every day and your support will ensure that children will have a healthy and productive life. To learn more about CF, please visit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation website at www.cff.org.

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. We walk for them. Will you join us? Go to the top of this page, then click on the "Join Lori’s  Team" or "Donate to Lori” button. By becoming a member of our team or donating, you are joining a growing group of people committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis. Together, we are adding tomorrows to the lives of people living with CF by supporting the search for a cure. Your gift is 100% tax deductible.

Great Strides is a fun, family-friendly event that raises awareness and support for people with CF and their families.

Thank you in advance for making a difference in Adam's life and the lives of others.

Lori

https://fightcf.cff.org/site/TR/GreatStrides/78_Metro_DC_Washington_DC?px1695201&pgpersonal&fr_id9534