Strike Out Cystic Fibrosis

“Baseball is a game of failure. It’s about how you respond to it that matters.” – Alex Rodriguez

As on the baseball diamond, that same mentality is required in life, especially for someone living with CF.

Jackson lives with cystic fibrosis, but if you watched him on the field, you’d probably never know. He shows up, puts in the work, and plays the game with heart, grit, and determination every single time.

Behind the scenes, his journey takes strength most people don’t see — treatments, challenges, and daily battles that go far beyond the baseball diamond. But when it’s game time, Jackson gives it everything he has. He hustles harder, pushes further, and never lets CF define what he can do. Every time he runs out onto that field, not only is it avenue to stay active, its an opportunity to show he can compete at a high level while having CF.

In the 1980’s people with CF were expected to only live into their late teens or early 20’s, in the 2000’s it increased to 30-40 years old. Today with extensive research and new medications, people are expected to have a normal life expectancy. A child born with CF today has a completely different outlook than someone born decades ago. What was once a fatal childhood disease is now, for many, a manageable chronic condition with adulthood all thanks to donations to organizations like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

May is right around the corner and May is Cystic Fibrosis awareness month.

Donations like yours are what keep helping Jackson beat the odds, keeping his dream alive of being the first MLB player with CF.

While medication and treatments make the journey a little easier and more manageable, just like in life, baseball doesn’t care about your diagnosis, it rewards effort, grit, and heart.

This is what resilience looks like. This is what courage looks like.