When the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was established in 1955, people born with the disease weren’t expected to live to attend elementary school. Faced with insurmountable odds, but determined to save the lives of their children, a group of concerned parents came together to form the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
What they do
- They fund more innovative, groundbreaking cystic fibrosis research than any other organization in the world.
- They provide expert care for people with cystic fibrosis through their nationwide network of accredited care centers.
- They help people with cystic fibrosis and their families get the tools and support they need to lead healthy lives today.
What is Cystic Fibrosis?
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is more than just a lung disease. CF is a progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time. More than 30,000 children and adults in the United States have CF (70,000 worldwide), affecting 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.
Today, because of improved medical treatments and care, more than half of people with CF are 18 or older. Many people with CF can expect to live healthy, fulfilling lives into their 30s, 40s, and beyond.
Although there has been considerable progress in treating this disease, there is still no cure and too many lives are cut far too short.
Impact
Through dramatic improvements in treatment and care, we are adding tomorrows for people with the disease.
A few decades ago, most people with CF didn’t live long enough to attend elementary school. Today, people with the disease are graduating from high school and college, pursuing careers, getting married, and starting families of their own.
Mission
The mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is to cure cystic fibrosis and to provide all people with CF the opportunity to lead long, fulfilling lives by funding research and drug development, partnering with the CF community, and advancing high-quality, specialized care.
How to Help?
As May is Cystic Fibrosis month, we are supporting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's efforts to create awareness about CF and what you can do to support. See here for all the ways in which you can support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's mission https://www.cff.org/get-involved
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