Cystic Fibrosis Walk 2017

On Sunday, May 21, 2017 we participated in our 10th annual Great Strides walk to benefit Cystic Fibrosis research, in San Jose. The walk is put on by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation ("CFF") - but most of my donors make a contribution to the Tara K. Telford fund for Cystic Fibrosis Research at UC Davis.

We walk in honor of my friend, Tara. She is the best!! She had a double lung transplant in January 2016 and now is on the list for a kidney transplant. She is positive, and fun, and strong. I guarantee that if you knew her, you'd want to walk in her honor too.

This year I changed my team name to "Friends of Tara" - because that's why we walk - we are friends of Tara! We always have a great time and enjoy the energy of being with others that also know and care about someone with CF.

This year the CFF asked me to say a few words before the walk started. I talked about Tara and her story. I also encouraged the group to make good choices with their bodies. Apparently, I would have made Tara proud - there was a real radio DJ there emceeing the event and after the walk he came up and asked me if I have ever done any voiceover work. New career for me? :-)

Thank you to everyone that donated this year. This year there were 12 donations to CFF and 17 to Tara's fund at UC Davis. Here is a list of donors, along with the "honor roll of donors."

http://someonechristina.blogspot.com/2017/02/thank-you-for-your-cf-donation-2017.html

Before the walk - wearing our "Think Pink Lungs - Team Telford" shirts

I also had a special lanyard identifying me as a "Super Strider" thanks to your donations

Enthusiastic kids - maybe for the walk, maybe for the post-walk pizza, maybe for the during-the-walk Red Vines (which are handed out each year)

This is the sign we walked with - listed are all of the "honor roll" donors that have donated for at least 7 of the past 10 years (Gina Piper should have been on there too!)

Of course, Thomas wanted one picture of him that Ashley wasn't in - so here you go! :-)

Thank you for your CF donation - 2017

Thank you to the following individuals for making donations in 2017 to either the Tara K Telford Graduate Student Award at UC Davis or the Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides event. Your generosity is appreciated!

If you make a donation to Tara's fund (and I hope you do - that is where I donate every year), please let me know so I can properly thank you - I won't get a notification.

CFF = Cystic Fibrosis Foundation donation

UCD = Tara K. Telford Graduate Student Award at UC Davis donation

1. Marge and Loy Hayes - UCD
2. Bill Foley - UCD
3. Ryan Long - CFF
4. Corey McIntyre - UCD and CFF (he's an overachiever)
5. Annie Chang - CFF
6. Jean Kelley - CFF
7. David and Dana Ritter - UCD
8. Erin Haley - CFF
9. Shannon DeCola - CFF - she donated TWICE to CFF this year
10. Rick Long - UCD
11. Michelle Nystrom - UCD
12. Audrey and Bryan Gillette - UCD
13. Bill and Sharon McKee - UCD
14. Vivian Hui - CFF
15. Judy and Bob Robichaud - UCD
16. Bhaskar and Veera Mantha - UCD
17. Julie and Joe Pierron - CFF - and donation match from Oracle
18. Michelle and Fran Coen - UCD
19. Joy and Jared Goor - UCD
20. Marilyn Perry - CFF
21. Christine Butler - CFF
22. Hassan Mahmoud - UCD
23. Brad and Kristin Maryman - UCD
24. Raul Tiansay - UCD
25. Olivia Sanwong - CFF
26. Gary Mahmoud - UCD
27. Betsy McClellan - CFF
28. Gina Piper - UCD
29. Michelle Gilbert Lopez - UCD

Honor Roll of Donors - updated on 5/20/2017

10 years Hassan Mahmoud Erin Haley Gina Piper 9 years 6 years Corey McIntyre ** Annie Chang Jean Kelley Vivian Hui Bill and Sharon McKee Michelle and Fran Coen Julie and Joe Pierron Kristin Perkins Joy and Jared Goor Loy and Marge Hayes 8 years Rick Long 7 years Marilyn Perry Bhaskar and Veera Mantha Raul Tiansay Lauren and Tom Mensch 5 years Ryan Long John and Janine Loconsolo Audrey and Bryan Gillette Becky and Cordell Baanhofman

Annual Fundraising for CF Research - 2017

Today I am asking for:

1) Please consider making a donation to the Tara K Telford Graduate Student Award for Cystic Fibrosis Research at UC Davis (this is where I donate every year). You can do this online from the following link. Please let me know that you have donated to this fund so I can properly thank you. I will not receive a notification that you donated.      

https://give.ucdavis.edu/GRAD/150006

                  

    or        

Consider donating to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation through our Great Strides walk (our 10th year participating - will take place in San Jose on May 21) using this link (I will get a notification). You can also sign up to walk with us from this link.  http://fightcf.cff.org/site/TR/GreatStrides/98_Northern_California_San_Francisco?px=1388364&pg=personal&fr_id=5943

2)  Consider becoming an organ donor. And consider being a blood donor (I do this every few months). You can save lives.

3) If you are healthy, and I hope you are, make good choices about your body. We owe it to those who can't control their health to appreciate ours.

Here is an update from Tara - she wrote it this week (picture of her with her family is attached). A year ago, things were not looking good, but today she's home and enjoying her family!

To say we had a challenging year in this household could be an understatement.  It started off with so much hope as I got the call for my double lung transplant on January 1, 2016. What was supposed to be a 2-3 week recovery turned into months of hard work and uncertainty. I survived 5 months on life support followed by battles of viruses, lung infections, lung rejection, heart failure and now kidney failure. By my side through it all has been my family.

My donor’s name was Becky. She was 29 years old and she had an 8 year old daughter. Without her family’s selfless gift I wouldn’t be here writing to you today. Becky and her family will forever be my heroes as they saved my life this last year. 

Cystic Fibrosis still affects many parts of my body, but I am breathing clear, free of CF in my lungs. Professor Kurth and his team at UC Davis are still providing important research for Cystic Fibrosis. With your help they can continue this important research year after year.  Please consider making a donation so they can continue to fight CF. 

What is CF? 

Cystic Fibrosis is a hereditary disorder that causes the production of abnormally thick mucous that leads to blockage and severe infection of the lungs. It also affects the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down food and absorb vital nutrients. In the 1950s, children with CF rarely lived long enough to attend elementary school. Today, because of advances in research and care the median predicted age of survival is about 40.

• More than 30,000 people are living with cystic fibrosis (70,000 worldwide).
• CF causes persistent lung infections and complications to other organs.
• Some people with CF say it feels like breathing through a straw.
• About one in every 30 Americans are symptomless carriers of the defective CF gene.

THANK YOU for your continued support and donations! After the walk I'll send our donors some pictures of us walking, thanks to your support.