Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides 2023

Great Strides is meant to be a walk, a stroll really. But we took it pretty seriously - passed the pace walkers - and finished first! Yes! That is how enthusiastic we are about helping change CF from Cystic Fibrosis to Cure Found!

Ashley had a last minute softball event so it was just Thomas and I representing all of our wonderful donors - some who have donated for 13 (!!) years. Thomas wore the "team leader" lei with pride!

Before the walk there were a couple of speakers. One was the grandparent of a 9 year-old CF patient. He spoke about how grateful he is that CF treatments (brought about by CFF research) have increased the lifespan of CF patients - 53 years now up from 38 years 10 years ago. A 42 year-old CF patient spoke about the support and love he has received from his parents - taking him to appointments, helping with breathing treatments, being there every step of the way. Hearing individuals directly affected by CF is powerful. (One year they had me MC the event - this year I pretended to)

We have participated in the walk in many different locations - Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, San Jose, Santa Clara, Stanford - and we have seen baby ducks on almost all of the walks. Crazy coincidence!

We walk in honor of Tara - her positivity despite her circumstances was inspiring - but we also walk to support those who continue to fight, and the people that love them.

Thank you to Thomas for walking with me - and thank you to everyone that donated. If you want to walk with us next year, I'd love that!

What Is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis is a progressive, genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs.

There are close to 40,000 children and adults living with cystic fibrosis in the United States (and an estimated 105,000 people have been diagnosed with CF across 94 countries), and CF can affect people of every racial and ethnic group.

In people with CF, mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene cause the CFTR protein to become dysfunctional. When the protein is not working correctly, it’s unable to help move chloride — a component of salt — to the cell surface. Without the chloride to attract water to the cell surface, the mucus in various organs becomes thick and sticky.

In the lungs, the mucus clogs the airways and traps germs, like bacteria, leading to infections, inflammation, respiratory failure, and other complications. For this reason, avoiding germs is a top concern for people with CF.

In the pancreas, the buildup of mucus prevents the release of digestive enzymes that help the body absorb food and key nutrients, resulting in malnutrition and poor growth. In the liver, the thick mucus can block the bile duct, causing liver disease. In men, CF can affect their ability to have children.

Today, because of improved medical treatments and care, more than half of people with CF are age 18 or older. Many people with CF can expect to live healthy, fulfilling lives into their 30s, 40s, and beyond.

More information can be found here: https://www.cff.org/intro-cf/about-cystic-fibrosis