Margarete Cassalina

Margarete Cassalina
Mother of an adult and child with CF
Margarete Cassalina

Margarete is a public speaker, a freelance writer, and the author of Beyond Breathing, See You at Sunset, and Embracing the Beauty in the Broken. But, most importantly, she is a mother of two children who were born with cystic fibrosis: Eric, now 31, and Jena, who “moved up” to heaven in 2006 at the age of 13. Margarete has been a dedicated volunteer for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation since 1991. She has served as National Leadership Council Member, National Public Advocacy Co-Chair, and National Volunteer Leadership Co-Chair, as well as chairing local events. Margarete and her husband, Marc, continue to raise funds and awareness for the Foundation by doing annual Xtreme Hikes, Golf events, and galas. For more about Margarete, you can visit her website.

Blog Posts

Margarete smiling with her friends in a selfie photo.

A chance meeting at a CF conference 12 years ago gave me one of the most valuable gifts: my CF Mama friend group. Since then, we’ve invested time in our friendship and supported each other through the laughs and the tears.

| 5 min read
Maragarete-Cassalina-500th-Post-Featured-Rectangle

As the first contributor to the CF Community Blog, I was ecstatic when the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation reached out to me about authoring the 500th post. As I look back on all the stories the CF community has contributed over the past three years, I can't help but feel grateful for the opportunity for connection.

| 4 min read
Margarete-Cassalina-with-Jena

"Moving up." Those are the words I choose to use instead of using the word "died." To me, "moving up" represents the next stage where we go, in another form, in another life. I don't believe that love ends and I never say goodbye.

| 5 min read
Margarete Cassalina and Marc - Today - wine - rectangle

When life was crazy busy having two babies born with CF, Marc and I would wake up 20 minutes earlier to make time for a cup of coffee together. 

| 4 min read
Eric and Me 2014

Today, my son Eric turns 24. He has his own house. He has a career in finance at Merrill Lynch. He has cystic fibrosis.  

| 5 min read