I wanted to give you a little snapshot of my life over the past several years and my experience with cystic fibrosis. In 2020, I was able to begin taking Trikafta which is a medication that treats the underlying cause of CF at the cellular level. I’ve been waiting for a medication like this for my entire life. After the first week of taking Trikafta, I wasn’t coughing anymore! I went from coughing up mucus and

clearing my throat all day to NOT coughing at all!! I started running and actually got to run the Peachtree Road Race 10K two times. I never imagined I’d be able to do that!
 

The last couple of years have been tough though. I was diagnosed with breast cancer and found out I have the BRCA 2 gene mutation which means a very high risk of cancer returning so I had a double mastectomy in Jan 2023. I was doing well with that recovery and my husband and I decided to celebrate by going on a cruise that September. We boarded the cruise ship excited about a week away to relax after having such an insane year but instead I found out I had an intestinal blockage and had to be evacuated off the ship, picked up by the US Coast Guard and taken to a hospital in Key West. I was there for a week trying to see if the blockage would pass but it didn’t, so I had surgery which resulted in some scary complications, and I was transferred to a larger hospital in Miami where I had a bumpy recovery over the next 5 weeks. It was quite the jolt of reality that even though I was

doing everything within my control to manage my CF, it can swoop in at any time and cause a terrible mess.

I’ve had several ankle surgeries since then and have discovered that having CF and CFRD makes it more difficult to heal quickly and it increases the chances of having infections which I have had two major ones that were tough to deal with and overcome.
 

Every CF fighter is facing their own unique battle – some may have more problems with their lungs while some experience more gastrointestinal issues, others liver problems, others diabetes, others infertility. Many are fighting all of these at once. More than 40,000 people in the U.S. live with CF. There are over 1500 CF mutations which makes this quite a challenge to treat and find a cure.

I have participated in many clinical trials, and it is so neat to see what studies are being done and it’s really amazing when that study turns into a new medication that is helping people! I’ve seen a lot of advancements in the treatment of CF and toward the cure thanks to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The CF Foundation is amazing. I am experiencing the progress first-hand from all the dollars raised and given toward research. Most of the medications I take today, like Trikafta that I mentioned before, were not around when I was born. This progress is the direct result of the work of the CF Foundation and dedicated friends like you supporting my fundraising efforts through Great Strides.
 

While the CFF has funded many developments that are giving people with CF a better quality of life – the mission is to cure it! The foundation is pursuing genetic therapies to achieve this goal. It is quite complicated and will take time, funding and persistence which is why we are so thankful for your help!