Running for Kids Fighting to Breathe
Nellie Taracido
Fundraising for Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend 2026
Nellie Taracido
There was a time when our family believed my children might have cystic fibrosis.
Waiting for those answers was one of the most frightening experiences we’ve ever faced. When your child is struggling with their lungs and doctors begin talking about serious genetic diseases, your world changes. You start to realize just how fragile breathing—something most of us take for granted—really is.
After many tests, we eventually learned that my children do not have cystic fibrosis. Instead, they were diagnosed with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD), another rare genetic lung disease that affects the body’s ability to clear infections from the lungs.
While the diagnosis was different than we expected, one thing became very clear to our family. No child should have to fight this hard just to breathe.
Families living with cystic fibrosis face that battle every single day.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic, life-shortening disease that damages the lungs, pancreas, and other vital organs. It makes breathing difficult and leaves people vulnerable to life-threatening infections that can lead to severe lung damage and respiratory failure.
Despite incredible medical progress, there is still no cure.
Too many children and young adults with cystic fibrosis still face shortened lives. Too many families live with the constant worry about the future.
Our family understands what it means to live with chronic lung disease. We understand the daily treatments, the doctor visits, the infections, and the uncertainty that comes with it.
That’s why I’m running.
I’m running for families who are waiting for better treatments.
I’m running for children who deserve the chance to grow up healthy.
And I’m running for a future where diseases like cystic fibrosis no longer take lives too soon.
But I can’t do this alone.
Will you help us end cystic fibrosis?
Your donation will support the research and innovation needed to bring us closer to a cure. Every contribution—no matter the size—moves us one step closer to a world where everyone with CF can live a long, healthy life.
Together, we can give families something incredibly powerful:
Hope.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Waiting for those answers was one of the most frightening experiences we’ve ever faced. When your child is struggling with their lungs and doctors begin talking about serious genetic diseases, your world changes. You start to realize just how fragile breathing—something most of us take for granted—really is.
After many tests, we eventually learned that my children do not have cystic fibrosis. Instead, they were diagnosed with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD), another rare genetic lung disease that affects the body’s ability to clear infections from the lungs.
While the diagnosis was different than we expected, one thing became very clear to our family. No child should have to fight this hard just to breathe.
Families living with cystic fibrosis face that battle every single day.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic, life-shortening disease that damages the lungs, pancreas, and other vital organs. It makes breathing difficult and leaves people vulnerable to life-threatening infections that can lead to severe lung damage and respiratory failure.
Despite incredible medical progress, there is still no cure.
Too many children and young adults with cystic fibrosis still face shortened lives. Too many families live with the constant worry about the future.
Our family understands what it means to live with chronic lung disease. We understand the daily treatments, the doctor visits, the infections, and the uncertainty that comes with it.
That’s why I’m running.
I’m running for families who are waiting for better treatments.
I’m running for children who deserve the chance to grow up healthy.
And I’m running for a future where diseases like cystic fibrosis no longer take lives too soon.
But I can’t do this alone.
Will you help us end cystic fibrosis?
Your donation will support the research and innovation needed to bring us closer to a cure. Every contribution—no matter the size—moves us one step closer to a world where everyone with CF can live a long, healthy life.
Together, we can give families something incredibly powerful:
Hope.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
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