Earlier this year the CFLF was excited to award CF Recreation Grants to twins Andrea and Alyson Hoffman from Ohio to help them pursue their dreams of running a half marathon. Their grants went toward professional training for the marathon for themselves and their peer support people, Carlie and Wyatt.

I know weight gain is a struggle for many of us with CF. When I was in fourth grade I had a feeding tube placed. I ended up having it for around 10 years before I had it removed. At the time, I didn’t like it. It wasn’t towards the end of my time with that tube that I was able to get past my self-consciousness of having it. However, looking back I can now say I am so grateful I had it. I know that without it I would be much sicker. I wouldn’t have the health I do now without it. And if in the future I needed one again, I may not be stoked about it, but I would do it.

Finding silver linings is something I find myself talented at. Whenever I have suggested to parents asking for support in facing their child's life with CF that there are many reasons that I consider my cystic fibrosis as a gift in my life, I was always met with complete silence and sometimes a look like I have two heads.

When I can’t remember how many times I’ve been in the hospital I count the scars on the insides of my arms. They’re almost like a map and with each one I can remember vividly the PICC line being placed. Which, in a lot of ways, makes me lucky because so many people with CF can no longer count the scars on their arms, or count on two hands the number of times they’ve been admitted into the hospital, because there have been too many.  There are two scars that are darker than the rest because they’re the most recent.