Hello All,

Most of those that visit her know me, but I figure I'll let you know about me anyways :)

I was born on July 12th, 1982, a seemingly healthy baby. This however, was not the case as my family was soon to discover. After many months of not gaining weight, horrible diapers, and a cranky baby, I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis in December 1982. At the time, a cfer was expected to live until somewhere between 18 and 21.

Luckily, my case was mostly digestive for the first decade of my life.

At about 14 years of age, my health began slipping a little, mostly in the weight category. At this time is when I had a feeding tube placed, which helped me gain weight, and kept me healthy through high school, even though my lung function slowly crept down. I graduated high school in 2000 with a full ride scholarship to college. This is also when I went on my make-a-wish trip to see New York City and Broadway, one of my many passions.

I enrolled in Western Oregon University in the Fall of 2000, declaring my major in Education. My health maintained steady enough to let me attend as a full-time student, something that many CF patients are not fortunate enough to do. In the Winter of 2002 I was chosen as a support runner for the Salt Lake Olympic Torch as it passed through Salem.

In the Spring of 2003 I had my first CF related hospitalization. It's a rare CFer who makes it until 20 before they are hospitalized for the first time. I've since been in the hospital 2 additional times to treat persistent lung infections.

I graduated from WOU in June 2004, with a degree in Education. After taking a year off, I have substitute taught for the last 2 school years. I also recently married a wonderful man named Matt. We look forward to sharing as much time as I get to have on this earth, and hope that more advancements can be found.

Here's a look at some of the many things that keep me healthy

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 2007 Salem - Riverfront Park walk on 05/19/2007. Please help me meet my fund-raising goal of $0.00 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!