Greetings Friends & Family, 

While most consider the return of the robin as a sure sign that spring is upon us, those of you who have been getting my yearly email regarding the Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis know that it really isn’t spring until Phil sends his email. All kidding aside, I am once again excited to participate in the walk that will be held on May 9th at Three Links Park in Rochester and would love for you to consider joining us that day, or if you are busy that day, supporting the cause with a donation to Team Reiter. 

Earlier this year, Brooklyn, my oldest daughter, after months of persuasion and begging, got her wish and we agreed to get a puppy. We officially brought the puppy, which we have named Tucker, home on March 21st. He has been a very cute and lovable addition to the family, but man, puppies are a lot of work! Strangely, this got me thinking about my life with CF now compared to before I had access to the breakthrough drug, Trikafta, in late 2019. Before starting on Trikafta, something as normal as getting a puppy for the family likely wouldn’t have been doable. I don’t think I would have enough energy to help with the puppy along with the other responsibilities of being a husband, father, working full time, and doing all my CF treatments in attempt to slow down the decline in my health. The longer I am on Trikafta, the more grateful I am for how it has improved my quality of life and changed my perspective of what the future may hold. 

Advancements in CF care and medications, like Trikafta, are a testament to the dedicated physicians and scientists who study the disease and possible therapies. As we all know, research takes money and that is why even though CF care and treatment is in a far better place, the job is not done. There is still no cure for CF and most of us with CF are carrying battle scars from the disease that will stick with us for the rest of our lives. While the focus on finding a cure is always front and center, focus is also being applied to helping those with CF manage those battle scars and age more gracefully. Being elderly with CF is going to be a reality for most of us now, however there is still so much we don’t know about how that will go and how our bodies will respond. Therefore, now is not the time to slow down the fundraising efforts.