My Breathe Team Story
Jordan Walker
Fundraising for 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Jordan Walker
I am running the 2026 Chicago Marathon as part of Team Breathe to help the CF Foundation towards their mission. I would appreciate if you would support myself and Team Breathe by making a donation. Any amount you can contribute would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading and supporting our efforts!
Cystic fibrosis is a disease with no cure. My family's journey with CF began when my son was born. Very quickly after he was born we were notified that he had a CF gene mutation. Those times were scary, but we came out the other side with optimism. We hoped this would be it but a couple of years later when my first daughter was born, we received a similar message that she too had CF gene mutations. 7 years later my second daughter was born, and again a familiar message was delivered to us shortly after she was born; she also has CF gene mutations. The fear and anxiety of learning this news each time has subsided and been met with more hope and optimism about the future because of the work of the CF Foundation.
Cystic fibrosis is a disease with no cure. My family's journey with CF began when my son was born. Very quickly after he was born we were notified that he had a CF gene mutation. Those times were scary, but we came out the other side with optimism. We hoped this would be it but a couple of years later when my first daughter was born, we received a similar message that she too had CF gene mutations. 7 years later my second daughter was born, and again a familiar message was delivered to us shortly after she was born; she also has CF gene mutations. The fear and anxiety of learning this news each time has subsided and been met with more hope and optimism about the future because of the work of the CF Foundation.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects individuals at the cellular level, causing mucus to build up in the lungs leading to a decrease in lung function over time. Because of the fundraising efforts of organizations like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the quality of life and life expectancy rates for individuals with CF is improving dramatically. As recently as the mid 1990s, individuals born with CF were not expected to live past their mid 30s. Now the CF Foundation is estimating, because of advancements in medications and treatments, individuals with CF born between 2020 and 2024 to have a life expectancy of 65 years.
Each day our house is filled with hours of breathing treatments and multiple medications to prevent the onset of symptoms in our kids. While these tasks can be exhausting and frustrating for our kids, and us, each passing day and visit to the pulmonologist leaves us optimistic about the future of disease management for them. One of the biggest advancements that has led to the increase in life expectancy has been medications called modulators. These drugs work at the cellular level to correct the deficiencies caused by the CF gene mutations. The development of these drugs would not be possible without the research and fundraising of the CF Foundation.
I know that without the work of the CF Foundation, my kids' outlook would be dramatically different. I truly believe that because of their relentless work, a cure for cystic fibrosis is actually possible.
Each day our house is filled with hours of breathing treatments and multiple medications to prevent the onset of symptoms in our kids. While these tasks can be exhausting and frustrating for our kids, and us, each passing day and visit to the pulmonologist leaves us optimistic about the future of disease management for them. One of the biggest advancements that has led to the increase in life expectancy has been medications called modulators. These drugs work at the cellular level to correct the deficiencies caused by the CF gene mutations. The development of these drugs would not be possible without the research and fundraising of the CF Foundation.
I know that without the work of the CF Foundation, my kids' outlook would be dramatically different. I truly believe that because of their relentless work, a cure for cystic fibrosis is actually possible.
MAR
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Treatment time is more fun when mom and Penny hang out with Kate!
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