The annual Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Greatstrides walk will be held May 1st, 2010 8AM at the state capital's West Steps and we'd love for you to join us by signing up to be a walker, fundraising with us and/or making a tax-deductible donation!

2010 will be our 6th year walking as Team Faithfull. To date, our team has raised over $50,000 all through family, friends, businesses and word of mouth. Faith was only 8 weeks old at our first Greatstrides and we had a team of 12....we've grown exponentially to form a walk team of over 60 people on our best year!

Looking back over these years with Faith I easily feel just how much my heart is filled with warmth and joy because of her. Sure, she has her moments, but for the most part she is an inspiration, full of hope, spirit, happiness and positivity. A true role model for us all. She is a lover of life and all things in it and she deserves to be able to live the best life possible.

Faith just turned FIVE this March 4. FIVE is a BIG DEAL. In 1955 when the CF Foundation was established, children were not expected to live to the age of FIVE. Now here we are in 2010 and despite the effort it is to deal with CF, we consider ourselves very lucky...still no hospitalizations, no IV's, no major complications...and a median survival age of 37 that through aggressive investments by the CFF in innovative research and comprehensive care is continuing to grow.

CF is a constant battle both physically and emotionally, don't doubt that for a second. She's had to deal with a few health hiccups, scares and adjustments over the years. Her weight gain has always been a struggle, she currently takes about 30 pills per day and her breathing treatments can be plentiful, but she has an excellent team of doctors and nurses who are very proactive as well as a family who would do anything for her. Family, her medical team and research by the CF Foundation are what helps to keep her body as healthy as possible and she's happy, which is all that matters and makes all the extra stuff worth it.

Faith is worth it and so are the thousands of other people battling CF. By joining us, you are helping her get one step closer to our ultimate goal.....better treatments and an eventual cure to cystic fibrosis.

PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO WATCH FAITH'S 2010 VIDEO at www.TeamFaithFULL.com or HERE: http://www.youtube.com/user/faith4acure?feature=mhw4

We'd love for you to forward on this email to your own contact list and help us spread the word. There is also a toolkit on the left side of this page for more assistance.

With Gratitude, Stephanie Davis www.TeamFaithFULL.com

___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that: - clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; and - obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

People with CF can have a variety of symptoms, including: - very salty-tasting skin; - persistent coughing, at times with phlegm; - frequent lung infections; - wheezing or shortness of breath; - poor growth/weight gain in spite of a good appetite; and - frequent greasy, bulky stools or difficulty in bowel movements.