TEAM: ATA BLACK BELT ACADEMY

We have had a very busy month! My son Andrew was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at 11 months old. He is now 16 years old. Andrew caught a cold along with a sinus infection that ended up turning into pneumonia at the end of March. This was a first for him. He was in the hospital for four days for the first time in four and a half years. He is feeling much better and just finished iv antibiotics this past Saturday. Although you wouldn't know that Andrew has CF by looking at him; he has about 12 different medications in his daily regiment. This includes an hours worth of breathing treatments in the morning before school and in the evening. With the research that has been done and thanks to the CF Foundation and people like you, two medications are very close (1 to 3 years) to going for FDA approval. These medications will help his lung function and decrease the medications he currently takes as well as help in reaching his goal to stay in good health beyond the current 37 year life expectancy that CF patients currently face. The life expectancy has not increased more than 2 years since Andrew was diagnosed 15 years ago. This is why the funds we raise for the Great Strides walk and the CF Break-a-thon are so important right now. You can help by attending or volunteering at either event.

Saline ATA Martial Arts is hosting the CF Break-a-thon for our GREAT STRIDES walk team. The Great Strides walk will be at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor on May 8th; registration begins at 10:00am. This year Saline ATA Martial Art's fifth annual CF Break-A-Thon will be on May 22nd, 11:00am to 4:00pm at the Saline ATA Martial Arts studio on the corner of Woodland and N. Maple in Saline. The CF Break-a-thon has become a community festival with games, food and live entertainment. This year we will have the Saline High School Jazz Band, Varsity Blues, Rhythm Dance Group and the Saline ATA Demo Team. Check out some of the pictures on salineata.com. All the money raised at the break-a-thon will be given to the CF Foundation and applied to our ATA Black Belt Academy team for the Great Strides walk.

Great Strides is a walk to raise funds in an effort to give people with Cystic Fibrosis a more productive and extended life. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that affects 30 thousand children and young adults in the United States. The lungs and digestive system are the main affected areas.

Our goal is to increase the life expectancy. You can help us to reach that goal by sponsoring me and helping our team meet our $10,000.00 goal. You are welcome to join our team by clicking on "Join Team" on this page or create a team of your own! Making a donation is easy and secure! Just click the "Click to Donate" button on this page to make a donation that will be credited to our team. Any amount you can donate is greatly appreciated! Keep in mind that $.90 of every dollars goes to research and development of vital CF programs.

To learn more about CF and the CF Foundation, visit http://www.cff.org.

To learn more about our Team and Saline ATA, visit www.salineata.com

Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those with CF! Thank you for supporting the mission of the CF Foundation and GREAT STRIDES!