If you’ve followed me for awhile, you know that my family is very active in supporting the Cystic Fibrosis foundation. This medical charity is honestly more important to me than anything else, writing career included. We do a lot to donate and support this charity as a family.
If you’re not familiar with the condition, it’s a genetic disorder that affects approximately 30,000 Americans. It scars and destroys the lungs and the pancreas until a victim can no longer breathe or process fats, and they end up drowning in their own mucus as the lungs lose function. There’s very little in the world more horrifying than this. It’s a ticking time bomb over years.
With the help of the CF Foundation, years has become decades. When I was growing up, I had a friend with this condition and he was told that he’d be lucky if he’d live til 18. The treatments they’ve found has extended life pretty well, with average lifespans now being in the 30s. Still too young, still too horrible.
Just last year a genetic treatment was developed for some mutations of this (not all yet) that actually curbs the destructive symptoms in many of the patients. I am optimistic that we will eventually find a genetic cure for this, and that’s why I throw my full support to the foundation.
My wife is coordinating a team walk, as she does every year, of which I’ll be participating of course (though due to login issues I don’t show up as a member of the team at the moment). If you would be willing to chip in for Samantha Del Arroz, it would be appreciated.
Details:
http://fightcf.cff.org/site/TR?fr_id=5939&pg=team&team_id=58605&_ga=1.194250605.170544662.1485475406
And please share around. Let’s end this terrible disease.
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