My Breathe Team Story
Janet Teng
Fundraising for Walt Disney World Marathon 2027
Janet Teng
When I was a child, every summer brought the same fear. Sinus infections and allergies that turned into lung infections—again and again. I remember the panic of struggling for air, the helplessness of being unable to climb a flight of stairs or lie down to sleep. The sharp pain in my chest as I tried to pull oxygen into my lungs. The rasping wheeze with every breath. The crushing fatigue.
There is nothing more frightening than not being able to breathe.
Modern medicine saved me. Allergen desensitization therapy and sinus surgery gave me something I never take for granted—the freedom to breathe. Because of that care, I grew up. I built a life. I can run. I can dream. I can live.
But not everyone is that fortunate.
There is no cure for Cystic Fibrosis.
The daily struggles faced by those living with CF make my childhood respiratory problems seem small by comparison. CF is relentless. It demands constant care, constant vigilance, and constant courage—for an entire lifetime.
When my children were little, their favorite singer was Gregory Lemarchal, an immensely talented 20‑year‑old who was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when he was barely a toddler.
Gregory refused to let CF define him. He played sports. He danced. He sang with a joy that moved millions. He won the French singing competition Star Academy in 2004 and released several records—his voice often compared to that of an angel, even as his body struggled to keep up.
In 2007, Gregory died at just 23 years old while waiting for a lung transplant.
Because of donor‑funded research and improved therapies, people with Cystic Fibrosis are living longer today. In the 1980s, it was rare for someone with CF to survive beyond their teenage years.
Had Gregory been born just decades later—between 2019 and 2023—he could have lived into his 60s.
He might still be alive today.
Still singing.
Still inspiring.
Still breathing.
Research made that difference—and research can go even further.
That is why I am running the Disney Marathon: to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis research and to stand with the children, adults, and families who face this disease every single day.
Every mile I run is for those who cannot breathe freely.
Every step is for the lives still waiting for a cure.
My illness had an ending. I was treated. I was healed.
People with Cystic Fibrosis don’t yet have that hope.
Please consider making a donation.
Your support—no matter the amount—helps fund research that gives people with CF more time, more life, and more hope. And if you’re unable to donate, sharing this page means more than you know.
People like Gregory deserve the chance to grow old, to play with their grandchildren, and to keep their songs alive.
Thank you for helping me run for them.
There is nothing more frightening than not being able to breathe.
Modern medicine saved me. Allergen desensitization therapy and sinus surgery gave me something I never take for granted—the freedom to breathe. Because of that care, I grew up. I built a life. I can run. I can dream. I can live.
But not everyone is that fortunate.
There is no cure for Cystic Fibrosis.
The daily struggles faced by those living with CF make my childhood respiratory problems seem small by comparison. CF is relentless. It demands constant care, constant vigilance, and constant courage—for an entire lifetime.
When my children were little, their favorite singer was Gregory Lemarchal, an immensely talented 20‑year‑old who was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when he was barely a toddler.
Gregory refused to let CF define him. He played sports. He danced. He sang with a joy that moved millions. He won the French singing competition Star Academy in 2004 and released several records—his voice often compared to that of an angel, even as his body struggled to keep up.
In 2007, Gregory died at just 23 years old while waiting for a lung transplant.
Because of donor‑funded research and improved therapies, people with Cystic Fibrosis are living longer today. In the 1980s, it was rare for someone with CF to survive beyond their teenage years.
Had Gregory been born just decades later—between 2019 and 2023—he could have lived into his 60s.
He might still be alive today.
Still singing.
Still inspiring.
Still breathing.
Research made that difference—and research can go even further.
That is why I am running the Disney Marathon: to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis research and to stand with the children, adults, and families who face this disease every single day.
Every mile I run is for those who cannot breathe freely.
Every step is for the lives still waiting for a cure.
My illness had an ending. I was treated. I was healed.
People with Cystic Fibrosis don’t yet have that hope.
Please consider making a donation.
Your support—no matter the amount—helps fund research that gives people with CF more time, more life, and more hope. And if you’re unable to donate, sharing this page means more than you know.
People like Gregory deserve the chance to grow old, to play with their grandchildren, and to keep their songs alive.
Thank you for helping me run for them.
APR
12
12
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