Hazel's Great Strides Story
Sarah Desotell
Fundraising for Fond du Lac Great Strides 2026
Sarah Desotell
Hazel will be 16 years old at this year’s Great Strides walk. Although life has been full of medications, treatments, and extra precautions, CF has not slowed down this shining star. Hazel is a talented artist, actor, and singer, and has had amazing opportunities, including performing with their choir on the stages of Carnegie Hall and Disney World! Hazel is rarely found without a sketchbook and pencil, with page after page of characters and storylines.
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic condition with salt mismanagement at the cellular level, affecting digestion and lungs among other things. The sticky mucus throughout a CF persons body blocks the pancreas ducts so pills for calorie absorption are life-saving, while daily nebulizers and lung-shaking technology are also essential for loosening up bacteria-collecting mucus in the lungs.
Hazel’s friends and family have been walking in Great Strides events since 2011, and it is an honor for Hazel to be this year’s Fond du Lac Great Strides ambassador. The advancements in CF care, even during Hazel’s lifetime, have been incredible; Hazel now takes about half as many medications and spends about half as much time on daily lung treatments, compared to their first decade of life. We are eternally grateful for the support of friends, family, and community over the years, and for the progress that continues to made in improving CF medications and care. This progress is truly life-saving for Hazel and for the CF community.
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.
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic condition with salt mismanagement at the cellular level, affecting digestion and lungs among other things. The sticky mucus throughout a CF persons body blocks the pancreas ducts so pills for calorie absorption are life-saving, while daily nebulizers and lung-shaking technology are also essential for loosening up bacteria-collecting mucus in the lungs.
Hazel’s friends and family have been walking in Great Strides events since 2011, and it is an honor for Hazel to be this year’s Fond du Lac Great Strides ambassador. The advancements in CF care, even during Hazel’s lifetime, have been incredible; Hazel now takes about half as many medications and spends about half as much time on daily lung treatments, compared to their first decade of life. We are eternally grateful for the support of friends, family, and community over the years, and for the progress that continues to made in improving CF medications and care. This progress is truly life-saving for Hazel and for the CF community.
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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