Bellamy and Beyond!

Prior to the 1950s children with CF rarely lived past the age of five years old. Most would never live long enough to see the inside of an elementary school. Cystic Fibrosis is a devastating progressive disease that affects the entire body, but most prominently the lungs and digestive system. CF is caused by a fault in the genome, resulting in the CFTR proteins inability to move chloride ions into and out of cells. This creates a imbalance of salt, resulting in thick sticky mucus throughout the body. The thick sticky mucus becomes the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, causing chronic lung infections. These chronic infections damage the lungs overtime, eventually leading to organ failure and death in many cases. The thick sticky mucus is not just a problem for the lungs, it also clogs the small tubes in the pancreas. These tubes are responsible for releasing pancreatic enzymes that allow the body to break down fat and absorb nutrients. With these tubes blocked, people with cf like our son Bellamy would die of malnutrition if it weren’t for pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy. 

A lot has changed since the 1950s. Due to medical advancements and the tireless fundraising efforts for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, people with CF are living longer.   There are new drugs and therapies available that target the root cause of CF, but they do not cure it. While median life expectancy has raised significantly it cannot be forgotten that children and adults alike are STILL dying from the complications it causes. Not everyone with CF is eligible for the new drugs, and many cannot tolerate them. We will not stop fundraising until we find a CURE. Until we find a cure, nothing is promised for my son, and nothing is promised for the cf community. We ask you to join us in our fight to cure Cystic Fibrosis and give our community the chance at living a life unlimited.

Join our team to help make a difference in the lives of all people living with CF. To become a member, click the "Join this  team" button. From there, you can donate and start fundraising.  

As a member of our team, you are joining a growing community of people committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis. Together, we can make CF stand for Cure Found.