In 2011, my cousin Charlie was born and diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. While on the surface Charlie's life looks the same as any other teenage boy (playing baseball, making silly tiktoks, and always hanging out with his friends or cousins), I've seen the impact of his CF. I've watched at every family gathering how he can't eat something without taking enzymes first and how he'll disappear twice a day for a half hour for breathing treatments and to use his clapper vest. 

I vividly remember crying in the college dining hall the day it was announced that Charlie's age group would be eligible for Trikafta, the leading modulator that has improved lung function and increased life expectancy for people with Cystic Fibrosis. Charlie has been fortunate to benefit from this modulator, but 10% of the CF population cannot. There also still is no cure for Cystic Fibrosis, so while Trikafta has improved Charlie's quality of life, he will spend his life managing his CF. 

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. 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'm fighting for the cure for Cystic Fibrosis, not just for Charlie, but for all those with Cystic Fibrosis. Will you join me in my mission? 

To learn more about CF and the CF Foundation, visit www.cff.org. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those with cystic fibrosis. Thank you for supporting the mission of the CF Foundation!