Amanda Williams

Here's where my CF story begins. I was a young mother of a beautiful brown headed baby girl. My oldest daughter, MaKenna, was sick quite a bit as an infant. She was hospitalized three times with pneumonia before she was a year old. Her Dr. referred us to Arkansas Children’s Hospital for a sweat test to see if she had cystic fibrosis. We thought, cystic fibrosis...what is that!

On October 29, 2008, our lives were changed forever. We were devastated with the news that MaKenna, had tested positive for CF. I was six months pregnant at this time, so we knew there was a 25% chance that we would hear those dreaded words again. When my second daughter, Madison was born, she had a bowel blockage that required immediate surgery. The surgeon told us that this blockage, or Meconium Ileus, was a sign of cystic fibrosis.

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time. In people with CF, a defective gene causes a thick, sticky mucus in the lungs, pancreases, and other organs. In the lungs, the mucus clogs the airways and traps bacteria leading to infections causing extensive lung damage. In the pancreas, the mucus prevents the release of digestive enzymes that allow the body to break down food and absorb nutrients.

Our story is just one of many around the world. In the U.S. alone, there are 30,000 people living with CF. I am so grateful for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the direct impact they’ve had on my girls’ life and mine. Sixty-five years ago, when the foundation first began, children rarely lived long enough to attend elementary school, thankfully, today that is no longer the case.

Real progress has been for those who have CF, but there is still no cure for this devastating disease and many lives are cut far too short. By walking today, I am helping add tomorrows to the lives of people living with cystic fibrosis. Will you join me? Please consider making a donation to my Great Strides fundraising campaign today!

Please support me!

Help me reach my fundraising goal by donating to my Great Strides fundraising campaign. Your gift will help add tomorrows to the lives of people with cystic fibrosis by supporting groundbreaking research and medical progress. Your gift is 100-percent tax deductible.