My name is Olivia Hodge, and I am a student at the University of Alabama majoring in Journalism. I just started my second year here and I love it more than ever.

I’m incredibly honored to have the opportunity to ask you, my Alabama family, to help the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Alabama and me in the fight against Cystic Fibrosis (CF). This year, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Alabama is looking for donations to help support critical research towards finding a cure for CF, and we’ll be facing our rivals in Auburn to see who can give the most!

CF is a genetic disease that affects about 30,000 children and young adults in the United States. Children with CF are usually diagnosed at birth and I can tell you that life with CF can be difficult. I take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours of nebulized medication a day as well as physical therapy several times a week. I also have frequent doctor’s visits, and am usually admitted to the hospital once a year for courses of IV antibiotics. Living with CF is difficult and although strong progress has been made towards finding a cure, there is still much to be done.

This year, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Alabama will be accepting donations from around the state in the weeks leading up to the Iron Bowl. The University of Alabama will be competing against Auburn to see who can raise the most donations to help make CF stand for ‘Cure Found’.

Your donation is more valuable than ever. To make a donation, please visit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Alabama chapter website (http://www.cff.org/Chapters/alabama) and click on the “ALABAMA” button OR select the "Click to Donate" button above.

Thank you and roll tide!

Olivia Hodge