Our Story
Welcome to the BELLE RAISERS Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Great Strides national team page!
Please consider sponsoring and/or joining our walk in 2013!
Annabelle's story continues. Please help her write it.
BACKGROUND
Annabelle was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis on June 20, 2011, the Monday morning after Father's Day.
CF is a genetic disease found in about 30,000 Americans and 70,000 people worldwide. Annabelle's parents, Mark and Jessica, like about 1 out of every 30 adults, are symptomless carriers of one CF gene, which came as quite an unpleasant surprise when Annabelle was diagnosed with CF. Her brother, Dominik, is also a symptomless carrier of one CF gene.
In order to have CF, a person must inherit one CF gene from each parent.
Thanks to newborn screening measures now practiced in all 50 states, Annabelle was diagnosed at a very early age and now receives the best treatment available from premier medical facilities here in North Carolina.
While there is no cure at this time, medical advances are being made that give us hope that she will live a long, fulfilling life.
Fundraisers like Great Strides are necessary to provide the resources necessary for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to continue to "fund the fight" against CF.
Currently, there is no federal funding for research so families like ours rely upon the generosity of family, friends, and complete strangers to help us move closer to a cure.
Annabelle's happy demeanor, tenacity and courage inspire hope and tears of joy.
The outlook is bright for our sweet Carolina girl since children born today can plan for college and even having families of their own in the future. In the past, this simply was not the case as average life expectancy as recently as 20 years ago did not extend beyond the teenage years.
With the love of her parents, twin brother Dominik, and family and friends like you, Annabelle will thrive. Her life and character will be defined by her personality and spirit, not this disease.
ANY contribution you can make to our cause is greatly appreciated...more than we can express in words alone.
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IMPORTANT NOTE ON ATTENDANCE AT FOUNDATION EVENTS:
Updated July 5th, 2023
The CF Foundation is committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of individuals attending Foundation events. Individuals attending CF Foundation events must abide by the Foundation's Event Attendance Policy www.cff.org/attendancepolicy, which includes guidance for event attendees living with cystic fibrosis.