I was born with cystic fibrosis, and from the very beginning, I was told what I wouldn't do. I wouldn't live to graduate high school. I wouldn't become a mom. I wouldn't grow old. But I've spent every year proving that narrative wrong-and now I hike to help rewrite it for others, too.

Today, I'm a nurse practitioner. I'm a hiker. And I'm a mom to the most incredible little boy, Zane. Becoming his mom was a dream I fought hard to make a reality. Years ago, a life-threatening lung infection nearly took that future from me. The treatment was long, brutal, and toxic-so intense that I had to put everything, including motherhood, on hold. But I made it through.

I hike because I want to be here to watch my son grow up. I want to cheer him on at soccer games, help with science projects, and someday, hold my grandbabies in my arms. I hike for every person with CF still fighting. And I hike for the day we can say there's a cure.

I also hike for Bailey-my little brother. He had both cystic fibrosis and childhood cancer and passed away when he was just four years old. He never got the chance to grow up. So now I carry him with me in every step, every summit, and every mile of this journey. His story fuels mine.

This October, I'll be taking on a 30.1-mile section of the Appalachian Trail through the Xtreme Hike for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Hiking that distance in one day is a huge challenge-but living with CF is an even bigger one. I've never hiked this far before, but every mile is powered by love, hope, and the determination to make a difference.

Every donation brings us one step closer to that future-a future where CF stands for Cure Found.

Thank you for supporting this mission. Let's keep climbing.