Our Great Strides Story

Come join us

Sunday, April 26 12:30pm

Huntington Park

Gwen is 8 years old—active, funny, and a beautiful soul inside and out. She loves dance class, swimming, gymnastics, going to school, playing with friends, spending time with family, and cuddling her cats. She has an incredible sense of humor and is truly a joy to be with.

Life with Cystic Fibrosis is no joke. Before Trikafta, every single day Gwen took enzymes before eating so her body could digest and use nutrients. She did vest and aerosol treatments twice daily, each lasting about 30 minutes—often when she’d rather be doing anything else, especially when she was sick. Requiring 10 day in patient hospital stays with IV antibiotics at age 2 and 6 with surgery to clear out the music build up in sinuses.There are frequent CF clinic visits, constant monitoring, and a huge amount of daily work just to keep her as healthy as possible, all while trying to let her be a normal, active child.

Gwen has been taking Trikafta for nearly three years now, and she has had incredible success. I pray every day that this continues and that her journey keeps moving in this positive direction. Since starting Trikafta, she has been able to stop daily vest treatments, breathing medications, and enzymes at each meal—something we never imagined possible.

Before Trikafta, what might be a simple cold for other kids would linger for weeks for Gwen. The thick mucus caused by CF creates an environment where bacteria can easily take over. She missed school, dance, and fun activities. Each virus came with a harsh cough, antibiotics, and constant worry about protecting her young lungs.

We share Gwen’s story not for sympathy, but to raise awareness of what Cystic Fibrosis is really like—every day, behind the scenes. We are grateful for progress, hopeful for continued advancements, and always praying for a cure