Team Kaitlyn

Hello family & friends, Hi, hope everyone is doing well, this is Kaitlyn. I just wanted to thank you for contributing and donating to the fight against Cystic Fibrosis to find a cure. If it wasn’t for all of you, all of the new research that is going on wouldn't be able to continue. The Great strides walk, Team Kaitlyn was another great success. As you all know Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited disease that I've had my whole life. This disease is a pain sometimes, keeping me from sometimes doing things I want to do. Daily, I still take over 45 pills a day, do at least 2 physical therapy sessions lasting at least 30 minutes each time, as well as breathing treatments. I was recently diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis related diabetes which basically means because of CF my pancreas is clogged and doesn’t work the way it should. I now have to do insulin shots and check my bod sugars regularly. Just one more thing but as usual I will battle and conquer this too. I’m still very active in gymnastics daily and try to stay as healthy and fit as possible.This year Cystic Fibrosis research began working on a drug to help correct the gene mutations in which I have both copies of the DF508 mutation gene.The primary endpoint isfor improved lung function and secondary end points of reduced pulmonary exacerbation's, increase in weight, and increase in quality of life measures. The average lifespan of one with CF still remains at 37. This is not acceptable to me because I have dreams of going to college, continuing my gymnastics and maybe even becoming a psychologist, having a family and living a long and happy life. I again want to thank you all for all of your love and support throughout the years and hope that I will be able to count on you again this year so that my hopes and dreams for a cure to Cystic Fibrosis can come true. We will be walking this year in Richmond, Virginia at the 2015 Richmond Metro - InnsBrook walk on 05/16/2015. We would love for those of you locally to join us, but if you cannot butwant to donate and get my personally designed shirt, rememberthis is for a veryworthy cause to help me and others, simply place your order through this website.I love and miss you all. Lots of love & God Bless, Kaitlyn