May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness month!  Since I didn’t know anything about CF before I met Jesse, I thought I would share some important information.

What Is Cystic Fibrosis?

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has lots of information explaining what CF is and how it is passed down:

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that:

• clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; and
• obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

Wikipedia is also an easy source for more information:

Cystic fibrosis is a disease which affects the entire body. The name cystic fibrosis refers to the characteristic scarring (fibrosis) and cyst formation within the pancreas, first recognized in the 1930s. Difficulty breathing is the most serious symptom and results from frequent lung infections that are treated with, though not cured by, antibiotics and other medications. A multitude of other symptoms, including sinus infections, poor growth, diarrhea, and infertility result from the effects of CF on other parts of the body.

CF is caused by a mutation in the gene for the protein cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). This gene is required to regulate the components of sweat, digestive juices, and mucus. Although most people without CF have two working copies of the CFTR gene, only one is needed to prevent cystic fibrosis. CF develops when neither gene works normally. Therefore, CF is considered an autosomal recessive disease.

Jesse and I are raising both awareness about cystic fibrosis and money to donate to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by selling purple CF bands.  If you haven’t bought yours yet, be sure to get one to show your support!

I’ll share more about CF over the next couple of weeks.  Or you can check out the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to learn about the work and advancements being made towards finally finding a cure for CF.