Dear Family, Friends, and Colleagues,

This is my favorite little human, Mabel, who also happens to be my niece and goddaughter. She has Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic disease with a defective gene that causes a thick buildup of mucus and impacts the lungs, pancreas, and digestive system.

I have signed up for my fourth Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Xtreme Hike event, which takes place in the Adirondack high peaks on August 23rd, in order to hike FOR her. It has become such a gift for me to be able to support her in this way for the last three years and I look forward to doing it again this year! It really is the perfect marriage of my passion for hiking and my eagerness to raise awareness and money for Cystic Fibrosis! I'm so excited to have found an outlet to both hike AND help Mabel!

All of the money raised for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will fund research, clinical trials, and other medical assistance that will help give Mabel, and over 40,000 people in the US alone, a fighting chance against this disease.

Significant advances have been made in the treatment of common mutations of Cystic Fibrosis! In 1955, when the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was founded, children living with CF barely made it through Elementary school. Today, people with CF are attending college, getting married, and having children! I've personally met a family who participates in this event where this is true. I wish this wholeheartedly for Mabel. There are now five drugs which help 90% of those who have the most common mutations. This is such great news! Mabel's mutation, however, is a combination of two rare mutations, and not all of these drugs help her.

This means that the fight to find a treatment and/or cure for her is more difficult.

Your donation will help support my effort to raise $2,500 and bring us all closer to the day that "CF" can stand for CURE FOUND.

Thank you so very much for your support! It means so much to me and my family!

With love,

Debbie Smith