Ava’s story began like so many others. Despite going through the newborn screening process, her Cystic Fibrosis (CF) wasn’t detected at birth. Just before her first birthday, Ava became seriously ill with a lung infection. After sixteen long days in the hospital, her family finally received the diagnosis: Cystic Fibrosis.
 

Life with CF is never easy, and Ava’s journey didn’t stop there. In 2018, she was hospitalized once again and given another life-altering diagnosis—diabetes, a condition often tied to CF. Learning to manage both CF and diabetes was overwhelming at first, but Ava and her family refused to let these challenges define her.
 

And that’s who Ava is—resilient, determined, and full of life. She doesn’t let CF or diabetes stand in her way. Ava is out on the tennis court and in the gym with her high school gymnastics team, pushing herself, laughing with teammates, and showing everyone around her that she is so much more than her diagnosis. She treasures time with her family and friends, and she lives her life with a spirit that inspires everyone who knows her.
 

In recent years, breakthroughs in CF research have brought hope to so many. Medications like Trikafta have changed lives. But for Ava, that hope hasn’t yet arrived—she is part of the CF community for whom this treatment does not work. This is why research must continue. This is why we hike.
 

We hike for Ava.
We hike for every family still waiting.
We hike until CF stands for Cure Found.