Like many others, we didn't know we were carriers of cystic fibrosis until our daughter was diagnosed. Even then, we didn't have any idea until a couple of weeks after her birth, when a phone call arrived that left us shaken. Instead of just receiving results, the call was to schedule an appointment, and we were completely unprepared. It was the state contacting us, having received the carrier screening, and we had no context. At that time, we knew only a few vague things, and the rest we learned from online searches-full of terrifying statistics. In just a matter of moments, we went from ordinary new parents to consumed by fear, spinning through worst-case scenarios.

Briefly fast forward to now-our daughter is three months old. Things are stable, but she's pancreatic insufficient, so we've had to get used to buying applesauce constantly, measuring enzymes, and staying on top of every feed. The diagnosis also explained so many things we had questioned in that first week-why she wasn't eating well, why we were racing to Walgreens in the middle of the night, syringe-feeding her formula. She was so lethargic right after we left the hospital, just a few hours in the NICU, and even though we were told we were in the clear, we came home on Christmas Day only to be terrified again just days later. Once we had the cystic fibrosis diagnosis, everything clicked. Her lack of digestive enzymes explained all those struggles.

She looks like any other baby, except cuter, but for us, and for so many others, it's an invisible disease that requires a lifelong balancing act. That's why we're participating in Great Strides, to raise money for research and for a future cure.

I've poured hours into learning about Dorothy Andersen, who first discovered the disease, and I've seen how far research has come. We hold onto hope for the future, for us, and for all those living with CF. I signed up at 3 a.m. while watching her sleep, not knowing if I could even go. Since then, I've worn the bracelet every day, and we've become the biggest fans of the foundation, hopeful for a brighter future for all CFers.

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.