Casey Piekarski
Hello again!
It's that time of year when I ask you for your money. I'm not asking for much of it, just a cup of coffee or a gallon of whatever you drink. Believe me, $5 makes a difference and $100 makes an even bigger difference.
For new friends and family I will give you a breakdown on Cystic Fibrosis and how if affects the body and those living with it. There is currently no cure for Cystic Fibrosis and too many people with CF die young. I'm raising money, asking for your support, whether that be by donating or sharing our story to build awareness, so that I can change this reality.
CF is a genetic, life shortening disease that devastates the lungs, pancreas, and other vital organs. CF makes it difficult to breathe and fight life - threatening infections, often leading to extensive lung damage and respiratory failure.
This past year a lot has changed for our family. Ivy's body was unable to maintain a healthy weight, staying right at the 1st percentile - failure to thrive. In July of 2024 we made the hard decision to put Ivy through surgery to have a gastrostomy tube placed. The tube is inserted through her belly to bring nutrition directly to the stomach. Although she has had many complications, we see the good outweighs the bad. Ivy is now in the 30th percentile. Ivy will take pancreatic enzymes for the entirety of her life due to her exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). She has been taking enzymes since she was a week old. Ivy is also taking Trikafta. Trikafta corrects the defective protein (CFTR) which is the cause of CF. Trikafta helps the CFTR proteins get to the cell surface so that the CFTR proteins can open correctly and the chloride ions can move/flow as they should. When the chloride ions do not move it creates a thick and sticky mucus buildup in the organs, such as the lungs. This wreaks havoc on the body making it difficult to breathe and extremely hard to fight off infection.
Every person born with cystic fibrosis is on a unique journey and experiences this challenging disease differently. While progress has been made, a long road lies ahead for far too many people fighting this terrible disease. We need a cure so that everyone with CF has a better chance to live a long, healthy life.
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.
It's that time of year when I ask you for your money. I'm not asking for much of it, just a cup of coffee or a gallon of whatever you drink. Believe me, $5 makes a difference and $100 makes an even bigger difference.
For new friends and family I will give you a breakdown on Cystic Fibrosis and how if affects the body and those living with it. There is currently no cure for Cystic Fibrosis and too many people with CF die young. I'm raising money, asking for your support, whether that be by donating or sharing our story to build awareness, so that I can change this reality.
CF is a genetic, life shortening disease that devastates the lungs, pancreas, and other vital organs. CF makes it difficult to breathe and fight life - threatening infections, often leading to extensive lung damage and respiratory failure.
This past year a lot has changed for our family. Ivy's body was unable to maintain a healthy weight, staying right at the 1st percentile - failure to thrive. In July of 2024 we made the hard decision to put Ivy through surgery to have a gastrostomy tube placed. The tube is inserted through her belly to bring nutrition directly to the stomach. Although she has had many complications, we see the good outweighs the bad. Ivy is now in the 30th percentile. Ivy will take pancreatic enzymes for the entirety of her life due to her exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). She has been taking enzymes since she was a week old. Ivy is also taking Trikafta. Trikafta corrects the defective protein (CFTR) which is the cause of CF. Trikafta helps the CFTR proteins get to the cell surface so that the CFTR proteins can open correctly and the chloride ions can move/flow as they should. When the chloride ions do not move it creates a thick and sticky mucus buildup in the organs, such as the lungs. This wreaks havoc on the body making it difficult to breathe and extremely hard to fight off infection.
Every person born with cystic fibrosis is on a unique journey and experiences this challenging disease differently. While progress has been made, a long road lies ahead for far too many people fighting this terrible disease. We need a cure so that everyone with CF has a better chance to live a long, healthy life.
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.
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