Wow, it's been quite a year with Nolan! In addition to our normal "firsts" first tooth, first steps, etc....we also had some trials a tribulations along the way, as well as victories.

This summer, Nolan was hospitalized for an electrolyte imbalance and for losing weight...he went from the 80th percentile down to the 3rd. He had to get IV fluids and an NG tube that fed him extra calories at night for almost 2 months, BUT around his first birthday, we pulled the tube out and have been working with a speech therapist to get him eating again, and it's working! He's now up to 24 lbs and doing well!

We also started Nolan on a vest for his chest physiotherapy. I think he was the youngest locally to get the vest at 6 months old. The vest, combined with an inhaled medicine, called pulmozyme, has seemed to help keep away the Pseudomonas bacteria that he had cultured last year and we were fighting to get rid of.

Nolan is now 16 months, and a typical boy - into EVERYTHING! He's very active and we'd like to keep him that way! The best way to keep him healthy is to be proactive in his care and preventing this disease from progressing. There are many drugs out there in trials that are just waiting to help out CF patients, but they need money to keep testing and to eventually get the medicines out to the public.

GREAT STRIDES is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's largest and most successful national fund-raising event. This year, I'm walking in the GREAT STRIDES walk at the Charlottesville, VA walk on May 16, 2009. Please help me meet my fund-raising goal by sponsoring me. Your generous gift will be used efficiently and effectively, as nearly 90 cents of every dollar of revenue raised is available for investment in vital CF programs to support research, care and education.

Making a donation is easy and secure! Just click the "Click to Donate" button on this page to go to make a donation that will be credited to my team. Any amount you can donate is greatly appreciated!

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a devastating genetic disease that affects tens of thousands of children and young adults in the United States. Research and care supported by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is making a huge difference in extending the quality of life for those with CF. However, we continue to lose precious lives to CF every day. That's why your help is needed now more than ever to ensure that a cure is found sooner - rather than later. To learn more about CF and the CF Foundation, visit www.cff.org.

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!