Leah Wilkins
Rick and I met online. He sent me a message and immediately interested me. He was handsome, funny, and our conversation flowed easily. It didn’t take long before we were texting instead of talking on the dating website. He told me about his daughter and the love he had for her was so evident from the very beginning. It was wonderful to see how much he loved being with her. That was when I knew I wanted to meet him.
After talking almost every day for a few weeks, he asked if I wanted to meet in person. Of course I did, so we made a date for a nearby brew pub. The first date went very well in my opinion. We ate dinner, then went for a walk around the neighborhood. The conversation felt natural, and neither one of us seemed to be in any hurry to leave. Eventually we decided that we needed to part, since both of us worked in the morning. He walked me to my car, and we ended with a hug.
Over the next week we continued to talk constantly, and made plans for a second date. We went bowling. After two games of bowling, both of which I lost by a substantial amount, we moved to a nearby pizza place. We ordered and ate, continuing to talk about our lives. After we were done eating, Rick asked me how I thought this was going. My immediate thought was, Oh no, this is where he says he doesn’t see things working out. I was honest and said that I thought things were going well and that I really liked getting to know him. He said that he agreed and with that he had something he needed to talk to me about. He then told me that he had cystic fibrosis. The only reference I had at this point was what I saw in the movie Five Feet Apart. So I knew it involved the lungs and that they usually have a short life expectancy. Outside of that, I knew nothing. After he told me, he said that I could ask anything, and he would tell me. I wasn’t sure what to ask at this point, because I wasn’t sure what was appropriate to ask. He told me it was okay to ask anything, but at the same time it was only the second date, so some things seemed too deep or serious for early on. Luckily for me, he started explaining things without me asking. He told me about his treatments and what those look like. He explained about enzymes and then showed me what he needed to take for the pizza we just ate. That raised the question of when he took them on the first date. That was a question I felt safe asking. He told me that he knows how to be subtle about it but admitted that he took them while I went to the bathroom on the previous date. He also addressed the life expectancy question, which of course was something I was wondering, but didn’t feel brave enough to ask. He told me how it keeps changing and getting longer. After we discussed it for a bit, he asked how I felt about all that he had told me. I told him it doesn’t change my desire to get to know him. I thought he was amazing and that didn’t change. I also asked if I could research it a little more and ask questions after I knew more. He agreed. We left the pizza place and went for a drive. We talked about things other than CF. Learning more about each other and our families. Just like the first date we talked until it was late and we both needed to go home and go to bed.
I got in my car to make the drive home and immediately burst into tears. That should have been my first clue that I was falling hard for him. My tears stemmed from the fact that I was already imagining a potential future with him, and the thought of that being cut short was daunting. It didn’t change how I felt though, I thought about it the whole drive home and remained resolute in the fact that no matter how short or long we had, it was better than not being together at all. When I got home I visited the CF Foundation website and downloaded the Adult Guide to Cystic Fibrosis.
Over the next few days, I started reading the guide. Highlighting important things and writing down questions as they arose. We continued to text every day, and made plans for a third date. On that date he allowed me to ask any questions I had come up with. We had a wonderful open conversation about it. It set a tone of openness that has continued to this day. He has never made me feel inferior for asking simple questions, or asking for explanations on certain things.
Shortly after we met, Rick was in a trial for Trikafta, a new CF modulator. I got to see firsthand the medical advances that were happening with medication and how they were improving quality of life. Pretty quickly on, he had less hospital visits, higher lung function and coughing less. Because of these advances, I have been able to spend the last five and a half years going on many adventures with Rick, including getting married in 2022, buying a house in 2023, and welcoming our son in 2024. I am extremely grateful for the funding that the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has been able to contribute to the search for a cure.
We have been experiencing the ups and downs of cystic fibrosis since that fateful day in 2019. I look forward to what the future holds for those with CF as we continue to search for a cure.
Standard Info
There is currently no cure for cystic fibrosis and too many people with CF die young. I’m walking to help change that reality.
CF is a genetic, life-shortening disease that devastates the lungs, pancreas, and other vital organs. CF makes it difficult to breathe and fight life-threatening infections, often leading to extensive lung damage and respiratory failure.
Every person born with cystic fibrosis is on a unique journey and experiences this challenging disease differently. While progress has been made, a long road lies ahead for far too many people fighting this terrible disease. We need a cure so that everyone with CF has a better chance to live a long, healthy life.
Will you help us end cystic fibrosis?
By donating to my fundraising goal, you have the power to advance the research and science needed to drive our shared dream forward – a cure for everyone with CF.
After talking almost every day for a few weeks, he asked if I wanted to meet in person. Of course I did, so we made a date for a nearby brew pub. The first date went very well in my opinion. We ate dinner, then went for a walk around the neighborhood. The conversation felt natural, and neither one of us seemed to be in any hurry to leave. Eventually we decided that we needed to part, since both of us worked in the morning. He walked me to my car, and we ended with a hug.
Over the next week we continued to talk constantly, and made plans for a second date. We went bowling. After two games of bowling, both of which I lost by a substantial amount, we moved to a nearby pizza place. We ordered and ate, continuing to talk about our lives. After we were done eating, Rick asked me how I thought this was going. My immediate thought was, Oh no, this is where he says he doesn’t see things working out. I was honest and said that I thought things were going well and that I really liked getting to know him. He said that he agreed and with that he had something he needed to talk to me about. He then told me that he had cystic fibrosis. The only reference I had at this point was what I saw in the movie Five Feet Apart. So I knew it involved the lungs and that they usually have a short life expectancy. Outside of that, I knew nothing. After he told me, he said that I could ask anything, and he would tell me. I wasn’t sure what to ask at this point, because I wasn’t sure what was appropriate to ask. He told me it was okay to ask anything, but at the same time it was only the second date, so some things seemed too deep or serious for early on. Luckily for me, he started explaining things without me asking. He told me about his treatments and what those look like. He explained about enzymes and then showed me what he needed to take for the pizza we just ate. That raised the question of when he took them on the first date. That was a question I felt safe asking. He told me that he knows how to be subtle about it but admitted that he took them while I went to the bathroom on the previous date. He also addressed the life expectancy question, which of course was something I was wondering, but didn’t feel brave enough to ask. He told me how it keeps changing and getting longer. After we discussed it for a bit, he asked how I felt about all that he had told me. I told him it doesn’t change my desire to get to know him. I thought he was amazing and that didn’t change. I also asked if I could research it a little more and ask questions after I knew more. He agreed. We left the pizza place and went for a drive. We talked about things other than CF. Learning more about each other and our families. Just like the first date we talked until it was late and we both needed to go home and go to bed.
I got in my car to make the drive home and immediately burst into tears. That should have been my first clue that I was falling hard for him. My tears stemmed from the fact that I was already imagining a potential future with him, and the thought of that being cut short was daunting. It didn’t change how I felt though, I thought about it the whole drive home and remained resolute in the fact that no matter how short or long we had, it was better than not being together at all. When I got home I visited the CF Foundation website and downloaded the Adult Guide to Cystic Fibrosis.
Over the next few days, I started reading the guide. Highlighting important things and writing down questions as they arose. We continued to text every day, and made plans for a third date. On that date he allowed me to ask any questions I had come up with. We had a wonderful open conversation about it. It set a tone of openness that has continued to this day. He has never made me feel inferior for asking simple questions, or asking for explanations on certain things.
Shortly after we met, Rick was in a trial for Trikafta, a new CF modulator. I got to see firsthand the medical advances that were happening with medication and how they were improving quality of life. Pretty quickly on, he had less hospital visits, higher lung function and coughing less. Because of these advances, I have been able to spend the last five and a half years going on many adventures with Rick, including getting married in 2022, buying a house in 2023, and welcoming our son in 2024. I am extremely grateful for the funding that the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has been able to contribute to the search for a cure.
We have been experiencing the ups and downs of cystic fibrosis since that fateful day in 2019. I look forward to what the future holds for those with CF as we continue to search for a cure.
Standard Info
There is currently no cure for cystic fibrosis and too many people with CF die young. I’m walking to help change that reality.
CF is a genetic, life-shortening disease that devastates the lungs, pancreas, and other vital organs. CF makes it difficult to breathe and fight life-threatening infections, often leading to extensive lung damage and respiratory failure.
Every person born with cystic fibrosis is on a unique journey and experiences this challenging disease differently. While progress has been made, a long road lies ahead for far too many people fighting this terrible disease. We need a cure so that everyone with CF has a better chance to live a long, healthy life.
Will you help us end cystic fibrosis?
By donating to my fundraising goal, you have the power to advance the research and science needed to drive our shared dream forward – a cure for everyone with CF.
Achievements
Recent Donations
Coleen Merriss$100
Anonymous$50
Nicholas Merriss$50
Marcena Monroe$100
Faith O’Malley$25
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