Our CHAMP lives up to his name, playing year round/dual sports. He remains an avid soccer player, and we are constantly blown away watching him outrun the majority of the kids on the field. He was selected to play on the 2026 AYSO All Star team and then tried out - and was selected- for AYSO “Extra” team, which is a level above traditional AYSO soccer. He competed in all this while nursing a fractured wrist which happened during a Fall Invitational for soccer.  He is now also in his fourth season playing Little League baseball. Last Spring, he was one of two players on his team selected to play for the annual showcase game. He is a solid pitcher, great shortstop, and is becoming more aggressive at the plate.  He has become a more adventurous body boarder, hunting glorious barrels and charging bigger waves. He is thriving with homeschool (now in 4^th grade) and has established some great friendships through the many sports teams over the last few years. 

In his fourth year of Trikafta, we are pleased our Champ continues to respond well to it. We have seen no major side effects and he is thriving. His respiratory therapy and breathing exercises remain the same, although we did upgrade to the newest oscillation vest last year. This allows us to save a few minutes of therapy time each day and it’s an easier interface for him to use himself. His math skills are put to great use as he doses his digestive enzymes based on his fat/protein intake. Each quarterly clinic visit adjusts those to keep his BMI on track, and he continues to grow. 

Modulator therapies have driven real progress for lung health, and there are many positive reports about the feasibility reducing the number of daily therapies for people living with CF! Clinical opinions are still mixed, but this would be a game changer for CF patients, taking them one big step toward a “normal” daily routine.  Since the 1990s, the CF Foundation has been funding early-stage research to identify medications to treat CF and its many complications. YOUR support has made this research possible, and we are confident that with continued investigation and support, better therapies and breakthrough medicines are yet to come.

Wonderful progress has been made, but the fight is not over. For example:

·       There are still many who don’t have access to any effective therapies – about 10% of people with CF do not respond or cannot take existing therapies

·       Medications are very expensive, so some families struggle managing care required for their loved ones.

·       Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections continue to plague the CF community and lead to lung function decline

·       Older CF-patients that have received lung transplants still struggle with post-transplant complications

·       Serious complications remain for the pancreas and liver

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has vowed not to rest until “CF” stands for “Cure Found.”  Your generosity and support over the years have continued to fund more discoveries that get us closer every year to the cure.  Funds raised today go to support efforts like those listed above and to fund research to better understand the long-term impacts of medications like Trikafta because it currently must be taken every day, twice a day, indefinitely.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT CHAMP’S FUNDRAISING PAGE: 

https://fundraise.cff.org/orangecounty2026/CowabungaChamp