Elise Free

Elise Free
Mother of a child with CF
Elise-Free-Headshot

Elise is a contributor on What the Flicka?, Scary Mommy, The Mighty and Mamalode, and has had essays featured in Los Angeles Parent Magazine, Literary Mama Magazine, and on KPFK's radio program, Motherhood Unplugged. She currently lives in Iowa with her teenage daughter, Adelaide, who's thriving and living life to its fullest and funniest, despite having cystic fibrosis.

Blog Posts

Elise-Free-Daughter-Hospital-Featured-RECTANGLE

I wrote this poem to my daughter as I watched over her in the hospital.

| 2 min read
Elise-Free-Adelaide-Hospital-Featured-rectangle

As the mother of a child with cystic fibrosis, here's what I wish everyone in our hospital understood about my daughter and her CF care.

| 5 min read
Elise-and-Addie-new-family-rectangle

When my daughter was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, our nurse looked at me and said, “Welcome to the family!” Although I wanted to punch her otoscope lights out at the time, I think I'm finally starting to understand what she meant 13 years later.

| 4 min read
Elise-Free-Abi--Outdoors-Featured-Rectangle

As the single parent of a child with cystic fibrosis, life is a difficult balancing act. That's why, sometimes, I feel a bit like Jean-Claude Van Damme.

| 5 min read