Hello, my name is David Szczesny, and I know how busy life can be, but please take a couple of minutes to read the rest of this message and then donate! I have been selected by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as an Honoree at a special event recognizing outstanding professionals in my community. More importantly, I have been tasked with raising money to help the Foundation realize its mission of curing Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and providing all people with CF the opportunity to lead long, fulfilling lives. I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy, so I have always had an idea of what CF is and some of the health problems people living with CF have to deal with.

However, this is not about me. This is about all of the people currently living with CF and the fact that there is no cure. Despite my prior knowledge, I truly had no idea what receiving a diagnosis of CF was like or what living with CF is like until three years ago.

My good friends Josh and Danielle Coffee were having their first child together – Lennon Grace Coffee. Since day one, Lennon has been a shining light in their lives and in all the lives of the people who love her. Two weeks after she was born, she was diagnosed with CF. As an empathetic friend, I felt some of their pain and the fear of the unknown – of the “what does this mean?” – but I knew that it did not compare to what her parents, my friends, were feeling. Since then, I have been amazed by the strength of Josh and Danielle. Despite everything they have been through, they are incredible parents to Lennon, ensuring that she receives top-notch care and knows that she can do anything in this world that she wants to do. They even just welcomed another beautiful baby into the world, Emmett Elias Coffee. Not only are they amazing with their children, but they are also very transparent and have fully committed to spreading awareness about CF, not only to help their daughter but to help all those living with CF. They have raised a lot of money for the CF Foundation on multiple occasions, desperately trying, like so many other families, to find a cure.

So, what does a diagnosis of CF mean? It is a little different for everyone, as CF affects each person a little differently. From the outside looking in at Josh, Danielle, and Lennon over the last three years, this is what I have seen. It means constant research, trying to find the best treatment. It means hoping that the newest, most promising medication works. It means countless visits to the doctor. It means two, 1-hour breathing treatments per day. It means extra breathing treatments if Lennon isn’t feeling well. It means making sure Lennon takes her enzymes multiple times a day. It means constant trips to the pharmacy to pick up medications. It means fighting to get devices like a percussion vest just to make things a little bit easier. It means HARD WORK – for Josh and Danielle, and for Lennon.

It is not every day that you learn a lesson from a child, but watching Lennon grow up, I have done just that. She is a fierce and fearless warrior. She has so much joy. Despite what she has to go through on a daily basis – she laughs, she smiles, she loves. When I find myself being annoyed by the mundane tasks of a day, I often think of Lennon – her patience, her strength, her struggles, her perseverance – and it really puts things into perspective.

To put things into perspective about what these donations do: Nearly 40,000 people in the United States have cystic fibrosis, a progressive, genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. Sixty years ago, children with CF usually did not live long enough to attend elementary school. Today, because of Foundation-supported research and care, the median survival age of people with CF is over 50. Working alongside the CF community, the CF Foundation has fostered the development of more than a dozen CF treatments and helped add decades of life for people with CF. Yet, many people with CF do not benefit from existing therapies. Our vision is a cure for every person with cystic fibrosis – a life free from the burden of this disease – and we will not leave anyone behind.

I am honored to be a part of this cause, but again, this is not about me. These donations are meant to help keep the CF Foundation heading in the right direction. The direction leading towards a cure for Lennon, a cure for the worry and anxiety of Josh and Danielle for their baby girl. The direction leading towards a cure for all those living with CF, enabling them to live a life free from the burden of this disease. Free to live life to the fullest and accomplish whatever it is they want. Thank you for supporting the Coffees and the mission of the CF Foundation!