My Great Strides Story
Sue And Manny Griego
Fundraising for Valley of the Sun Great Strides
Sue and Manny Griego
Dear friends and family,
Spring is here, and once again I come to you to ask for your help in funding research to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. Our Great Strides fundraising walk is April 13th this year. Please help Team Jenny raise funds needed to find a cure to this horrible disease.
Our Granddaughter, Jennifer, is 23 now. She had a very successful college experience at TCU, graduating last spring Magna Cum Laude. Her goal is to become a Physician Assistant. She has been accepted at Creighton University in Omaha, and will begin her PA program in August.
Jennifer’s life changed in 2018 when she participated in a trial of a new miracle drug, Trikafta. Up to that point, Jennifer hadn’t much hope for her future. She often was discouraged and sometimes felt rebellious for all she had to endure just to live!! This medication gave her a new lease on life. It greatly improved her lung function, digestive system, and gave her energy and hope that she had never previously experienced!!
The donations that you make to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation allowed the scientists and researchers to bring this drug to Jennifer, and hundreds of others suffering from this disease. It doesn’t cure CF, but it adds years to their lives and opens opportunities that were never before imagined!! In 2001, the year of Jennifer’s birth, the average life expectancy for CF patients was 31 years. Many children died early in life - never reaching puberty or adulthood. Our family was devastated when Jen was diagnosed within a few days of her birth! Most of us knew little or nothing about the disease, but her parents were MDs, who knew full well of the nightmare that had descended upon their precious baby! Cystic Fibrosis is a rare genetic disease. None of us knew of it occurring in our families. Today, because of the donations that folks like you have provided, the average life expectancy is 61+ years!!
Jennifer hiked the Grand Canyon in June 2024. This was a major accomplishment for someone suffering from Cystic Fibrosis!! We are so proud of her magnificent accomplishment!
Here, in Jen’s words, is a description of the hike:
Grand Canyon. Rim to Rim. 24 miles. 15 and a half hours.
“Alongside my family and friends, I hiked from the north rim to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. This was one of the hardest things I have done.
My whole body was sore, and my lungs have had to recover.
But I did it. A big part of this CF Xtreme hike is why we hike. I hike because 7 years ago I decided to stop using cystic fibrosis as a reason to take the easy way out of life and instead use CF to push myself to complete difficult life goals. I hike because God didn't giveme this disease to back down from it. He gave it to me to fight like hell against it. I hike and fundraise to help the creation of a cure come even faster. I hike for those who have passed away from CF. I hike for the families who fight CF every day.
I hike because CF will not stop me from living my life. Ever.
My life with CF is not the same as it was 10 years ago, and it won't be the same 10 years from now. I am so immensely grateful to those who have supported the CF Foundation and continue to do so.”
We are hoping you can help us once again this year. If you can, please click on this link to donate online.
If you prefer to mail a donation, please endorse a check to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and mail it to:
Manny and Sue Griego
9634 N 24th St
Phoenix, AZ 85028
Spring is here, and once again I come to you to ask for your help in funding research to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. Our Great Strides fundraising walk is April 13th this year. Please help Team Jenny raise funds needed to find a cure to this horrible disease.
Our Granddaughter, Jennifer, is 23 now. She had a very successful college experience at TCU, graduating last spring Magna Cum Laude. Her goal is to become a Physician Assistant. She has been accepted at Creighton University in Omaha, and will begin her PA program in August.
Jennifer’s life changed in 2018 when she participated in a trial of a new miracle drug, Trikafta. Up to that point, Jennifer hadn’t much hope for her future. She often was discouraged and sometimes felt rebellious for all she had to endure just to live!! This medication gave her a new lease on life. It greatly improved her lung function, digestive system, and gave her energy and hope that she had never previously experienced!!
The donations that you make to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation allowed the scientists and researchers to bring this drug to Jennifer, and hundreds of others suffering from this disease. It doesn’t cure CF, but it adds years to their lives and opens opportunities that were never before imagined!! In 2001, the year of Jennifer’s birth, the average life expectancy for CF patients was 31 years. Many children died early in life - never reaching puberty or adulthood. Our family was devastated when Jen was diagnosed within a few days of her birth! Most of us knew little or nothing about the disease, but her parents were MDs, who knew full well of the nightmare that had descended upon their precious baby! Cystic Fibrosis is a rare genetic disease. None of us knew of it occurring in our families. Today, because of the donations that folks like you have provided, the average life expectancy is 61+ years!!
Jennifer hiked the Grand Canyon in June 2024. This was a major accomplishment for someone suffering from Cystic Fibrosis!! We are so proud of her magnificent accomplishment!
Here, in Jen’s words, is a description of the hike:
Grand Canyon. Rim to Rim. 24 miles. 15 and a half hours.
“Alongside my family and friends, I hiked from the north rim to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. This was one of the hardest things I have done.
My whole body was sore, and my lungs have had to recover.
But I did it. A big part of this CF Xtreme hike is why we hike. I hike because 7 years ago I decided to stop using cystic fibrosis as a reason to take the easy way out of life and instead use CF to push myself to complete difficult life goals. I hike because God didn't giveme this disease to back down from it. He gave it to me to fight like hell against it. I hike and fundraise to help the creation of a cure come even faster. I hike for those who have passed away from CF. I hike for the families who fight CF every day.
I hike because CF will not stop me from living my life. Ever.
My life with CF is not the same as it was 10 years ago, and it won't be the same 10 years from now. I am so immensely grateful to those who have supported the CF Foundation and continue to do so.”
We are hoping you can help us once again this year. If you can, please click on this link to donate online.
If you prefer to mail a donation, please endorse a check to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and mail it to:
Manny and Sue Griego
9634 N 24th St
Phoenix, AZ 85028
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