Julia Long

The Sammy’s Steppers team was created by Sam’s incredible Mom, Alycia Long.

She had this to say about Sam’s story. 

“Sam was born November 2nd weighing in at 6lbs & 11oz of cuteness. My pregnancy was easy, problem-free & flew by! About a week after Sam was born we got a letter saying that one of the sections from his Newborn Screening Test came back abnormal. We called his pediatricians and they repeated the test. It came back abnormal a second time. At this point we had been scheduled at LeBonheur to do a sweat test on November 28th. The day arrived, Sammy had the sweat test done & at about 7 that same night my phone rang and our whole lives were turned totally upside down. Ever since then, Sam's life has been full of doctor appointments, medications and various daily treatments to keep his health as great as it can possibly be. 

We have been thankful and blessed to have so many amazing people praying for us and helping us raise awareness. Cystic Fibrosis is a progressive, 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, buildup of mucus in the lungs, pancreas and other organs. In the lungs, the mucus clogs the airways and traps bacteria leading to infections, extensive lung damage and eventually, respiratory failure. In the pancreas, the mucus prevents the release of digestive enzymes that allow the body to break down food and absorb vital nutrients. Today the median predicted survival age is close to 40. This is a dramatic improvement from the 1950s, when a child with CF rarely lived long enough to attend elementary school.”