Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that many people do not know about, but it greatly affects the lives of those living with it. I know I had no idea what it was until my gymnastics coach in high school had a granddaughter born with it.
I'm not a very science-y person myself, so I don't completely understand the disease. I do, however, understand that it totally sucks. Having CF means that mucus gets built up in your body, and often clogs your lungs. This can make it difficult to breathe, and breathing gets harder the older the person gets. CF also makes it difficult to gain weight, and very easy to get sick.
I only know one person in my life who has CF, and this is pretty common. Most people don't know anyone affected, and aren't even aware of the problem. This is why there is so little funding for finding a cure. Because of this, it is up to us to spread awareness and raise donations.
The person in my life affected by CF is a young girl named Kendall. Kendall is five years old and she lives a relatively normal life. She is always smiling, has more energy than most kids I've ever met, and more sass than all of them combined.
In this picture, Kendall is on the left in the pink, and she is posing with her friend Caroline. I normally see Kendall at the gym practicing her gymnastics. When I see her, Kendall is the adorable, average kid.
But I know that when I'm not around, she is fighting for her life. Kendall takes over 30 pills a day, and does two 45 minute treatments daily to break up the mucus in her lungs. She has to eat a very unusual diet and gets hooked to a tube while she is asleep to supplement her nutrition.
Throughout this all, Kendall has a great attitude. She attends walks, runs, and other fundraising events to get donations for a cure and raise awareness. Here she is with her parents at an event this year.
I am lucky enough to be able to attend the Cystic Fibrosis Climb For a Cure event in downtown Milwaukee each year. Participants sign up to climb many flights of stairs, all the way up the tallest skyscraper in Milwaukee. Every year, many friends and family of Kendall gather to climb and support her, and I am honored to be able to be in the lives of these incredible, kind, strong people.
Kendall is one of around 30,000 people in the U.S. who have CF. Because of people like her, we need to push on and find a cure. She is such a fighter every single day, and the least we can do is try to help! Finding a cure can be reached by donating money, attending an event, or simply reading this article and telling others what CF is all about.
Join Kendall's Krew and others with CF all around the world in hoping for a day where we have more than just treatment - we have a cure.
