My daughter’s friend in her 3rd grade class has cystic fibrosis, a chronic disease known for dramatically shortening the lives of many young people, though great strides have been made in recent years with regard to both longevity and improved quality of life for those with this condition. The last time I walked in support of raising funds and awareness of CF, it was just about a year ago and just prior to the issues with my own health that led to the discovery of my lung cancer. At the time, I was not suffering from the heavy shortness of breath or lack of energy that slowly began to define my summer only a few weeks later. Now, after almost six months of treatment and watching my condition generally improve, I am looking forward to revisiting that walk.

I know it won’t be entirely easy for me. Although it is neither hilly nor terribly long, it will far exceed any distance I have traversed on foot since I joined this effort last year. While I have tried to maintain some physical activity over the duration of my treatment, the sleepiness and fatigue that has plagued me much of this time kept me from feeling able to exert that much energy at once. I have managed a few small hikes with my family, but this one is going to be a milestone.

So, in a sense, my hike for this child is also going to be for me.

I am walking to celebrate Hope and Renewal and the sense that we can accomplish wonders with proper scientific research. Loop

Cystic fibrosis is one of those diseases that should be eradicated through medical advancement. There is every reason to believe that a cure will be available within a relatively few years, whether that means a decade or three years remains to be seen, but the time will come sooner with proper funding — and the sooner it comes, the more lives will be extended.

I truly hope that you will join me in this celebration of possibilities, of the potential both of medical science and of these enduring children who are so ready to offer their own magic to this world. Please share this post with your friends and family, so they can learn more about what is being done to improve and extend these precious lives, and if you can offer your support through even the smallest tax deductible donation, it would be most meaningful in this quest for a cure.

Please check the links below for more info on CF and ways that terminal diseases are being changed into situations of manageable care.

http://fightcf.cff.org/site/PageServer?pagename=gs_homepage

http://www.geneticdiseasefoundation.org/genetic-diseases/cystic-fibrosis/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cystic-fibrosis/basics/definition/con-20013731

http://www.cff.org/

http://discovermagazine.com/2013/september/14-doorway-to-a-cure

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/09/beating-cystic-fibrosis/280048/