Hello and Thank You for being here :)

My name is Emily Martinez. I am 22 and in my junior year at UTSA. (#birdsup) I currently live in San Antonio, but I am originally from Laredo - where my family still lives. 

I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when I was just 3 months old. Since very little was known about CF at the time, my parents feared I wouldn’t make it to my teen years. Cystic Fibrosis was not only heavy on us physically but also mentally. 

Then at the age of 13, I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes, also known as CFRD. I have been injecting myself with insulin every day for about 9 years, both fast-and long-acting. It’s a nonstop cycle, never ending roller coaster of emotions - ups and downs, positives and negatives, and feeling hopeful and hopeless.

I started Trikafta for the 1st time in 2019, and with it, I felt like my lungs finally took a true and gentle, soft breath. That is when I tasted what the air felt like, what a normal person feels on a daily! Thankfully with medications such as Trikafta, I am able to enjoy the things I love to do most such as dancing, cooking, spending time with friends & family - living a happy life!

Though living with CF can be extremely challenging at times, I am hopeful that I will live a long and healthy life and fulfill my dream of becoming a future Pulmonologist. I hope to see the day when CF stands for "Cure Found"