My Team CF Story

For those who don’t know what Cystic Fibrosis is…. Cystic Fibrosis impacts the respiratory system along with the gastrointestinal tract but can affect other systems as well. CF is a complex disease that has a large span of disease diversity. Although what occurs in the body of a person with Cystic Fibrosis can vary from person to person, the defective gene causes a mucus overproduction in the lungs, pancreas and other vital organs, which is common for all those affected. The over production of mucus in the lungs, blocks airways which could lead to infection and respiratory failure, this can cause severe damage to the lungs. The thick mucus also can obstruct ducts in the pancreas, which results in digestive enzymes not being able to get into the intestines. The intestines then cannot properly digest food without these essential enzymes. As you can imagine this makes people with CF more susceptible to gastrointestinal problems, infection, and makes it difficult to breath. Approximately 30,000 Americans have Cystic Fibrosis and one out of every 20 people are carriers of the gene.

    Ever since I was about 7 years old I have attended the Ski for the Cure of Cystic Fibrosis event with my family in memory of my Aunt Julie. A few days ago I ran into a woman that reminded me why I support this cause so passionately. This particular woman’s son has cystic fibrosis and while my grandmother spoke to her about how her child was doing it really made me think. They spoke about my Aunt Julie, who was 28 when she passed, and what if she could have had the medications available today. They talked about how the medical advancements have helped so many including this woman’s child. What I found interesting about this conversation was the difficulties people with CF have and how it affects their lives in so many ways. Those with CF often don’t appear to look sick but are fighting a battle within their bodies sometimes with every breath. There are times my mom will tell me I remind her of her sister and it warms my heart to think I could be even a tiniest bit similar to such a strong, brave, beautiful and loving young woman. I as many others love supporting the cause and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of my Aunt Julie and how much she valued finding a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. Finding a cure for CF can be done, we already have made so many medical advancements that could have and still can help so many people. Every little bit counts and you could be a part of finding the cure for CF.