Our Xtreme Hike Story

Dear Friends and Family,

Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder….

This years Xtreme Hike for Cystic Fibrosis will be special for our family because we will have a team of five taking on this challenge. Our family has always faced the many obstacles CF has thrown at us with tenacity and unity so it’s fitting that we tackle the Xtreme Hike together. As our family has watched Gracie and Joey fight this disease, we reflect on how much we have learned from them and the strength of the human spirit. Over the years we have heard countless comments about how hard it must be to have little ones with CF, how lucky they are to have us, or even comments of pity. The truth is that CF has made our family stronger, and it is we who are lucky to have them.

We often think back to the early days when we were eagerly anticipating the newest addition to our family and how our CF journey began. Imagine you plan a family vacation to a warm, sunny beach on a beautiful island. You shop, pack your bags and buy guidebooks so you are prepared for the perfect vacation. After months of anticipation and preparation you board the plane settle in to your seat dreaming about the days ahead. You wake up in time to hear an announcement “unfortunately we must land in the mountains and we don’t know how long you will be there”. Your first thought is that this can’t be happening. This was supposed to be a family beach vacation, not a vacation in the cold, rugged mountains. You are not prepared for this change in plans and don’t think you can take on the challenges of the cold, snow, and mountains. So once you stop doubting yourself you go out and buy new guide books and new clothes and find your way around this new terrain. Slowly you come to realize that this place, while different than the beach, is also beautiful. You meet people you might not have otherwise met, you learn a new vocabulary, and you accept the challenges of climbing the majestic mountain peaks. Sometimes you think about how others travel to and from the beach and the thought crosses your mind “That’s where I was supposed to go, that’s where I had planned to go”. But then you realize that mourning the loss of what you thought was going to be the perfect family vacation on the beach serves no purpose. What is important is that as a family you take on this new challenge and you learn to expertly navigate the flow of the peaks and valleys of the mountains. Most of all you learn to appreciate the surrounding beauty. In the process you learn resiliency, determination, courage, and most importantly unconditional love.

While we never thought our family’s journey would be shaped by CF we are reminded every day that this path is not to be pitied, it is just different. We work together tirelessly with the hope that Gracie, Joey and others with CF will see a cure in their lifetime. Our hope is that you will support us in reaching this goal as our family team takes on the Xtreme Hike for CF this year.

Thank you for your support!

Cindy, Amy, Rob, Kevin, & Maria