Walk with our team to Cure Cystic Fibrosis

Cannoli Sisters

Welcome to our team page! Leia and Brooklynn are identical twins who have CF. Cystic Fibrosis is a life shortening/life threatening genetic inherited disease that currently has no cure. CF can cause severe complications, as the disease tends to worsen over time with lung function gradually declining. CF affects/damages many organs, including your lungs, pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestines. It affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat, and digestive juices. This causes the fluids to become sticky and thick. When this happens they plug up tubes, ducts, and passageways. The twins are on many medications everyday like pancreatic enzymes to digest food, multiple acid blockers, a treatment medication to help the CFTR protein work better, a medication to help increase their appetite, a vitamin made for CF patients that they lack which are A, D, E, and K, and an albuterol inhaler with their lung therapy that they do multiple times a day. This is done with a machine called the vest airway clearance system. The twins also need extra salt added to their diet daily due to CF patients losing significantly more salt through sweat than people without CF. This is due to a genetic defect in their sweat glands that prevents proper salt reabsorption. This puts them at risk for dehydration. CF patients who have elevated liver enzymes can’t take the treatment medications that are out there for them. The twins always had elevated liver enzymes so we are praying they continue to get better so they can stay on the treatment medication.

While the CF Foundation has made incredible progress, not everyone with CF can benefit from existing therapies and we still need a cure. This will require time, funding, and persistence – but with you on our team – we are ready to go the distance.

Our team is committed to providing every person with CF the opportunity to live a long, healthy life. Will you join us?