No one in my family has cystic fibrosis. No one in my inner circle of friends has CF. A lot of people have asked, “Why spend so much time on something that you have no direct connection to?” My response to them is that you don't need to go through something directly to care about it and to make a difference. What sparked my interest in getting involved was the people I met along the way -- their passion, their dedication, and their stories.
Growing up, I was always very involved in my community, but my journey to becoming a CF advocate started when I met Preston Campbell, CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Dr. Campbell has spent more than 25 years caring for people with CF and is passionate about finding a cure for this disease. Our discussion turned to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and his efforts there. I became intrigued with their operation and started to think about how I could help.
Dr. Campbell introduced me to the executive director of the CF Foundation's Metro DC Chapter and many others. What I found were dedicated individuals, CF Foundation employees and volunteers alike, working hard to make a critical difference in people's lives. They selflessly gave their time, attention, and resources to this organization.
As I was getting to know many in the CF Foundation, I learned that a former colleague of mine at Charles Schwab, Jeff Albrecht, had CF. I did not have the pleasure of working directly with Jeff but I heard from many colleagues who did. They told me about how Jeff did not let CF define him; therefore many of his clients and friends didn't know he had it. They admired his optimism through adversity, his diligence, and strength, inspiring so many who knew him. He unfortunately had to leave Schwab because he needed a lung transplant. Although he eventually passed away, Jeff left quite a legacy at the company. Even though I was never able to meet him, I got to know many people who knew him well. We wanted to do something to honor Jeff's memory.
I immediately started to reach out to my network. I started close to home. In short order, we organized a dedication ceremony to Jeff. To honor him, I partnered with the Schwab Community Services Team and the local USA News Group to host a memorial event; family, friends, colleagues, and clients of Jeff were in attendance. After people spoke and shared stories celebrating Jeff and his life, our team unveiled a plaque dedicating the branch conference room to his memory.
Not long after becoming a volunteer, I realized that through my desire to make a difference in a community, I had become part of a truly amazing one -- the CF community. I was surrounded by selfless people who sincerely wanted to see the lives of people with CF get better. In meeting Dr. Campbell and others, I had learned so much about CF in a relatively short period. I knew one major area I could assist with was sharing this knowledge with others. I strengthened my resolve to educate people about CF, help them understand the devastating effects of this disease, and identify what they could do to help as we work to find a cure.
Before I knew it, I was a guest at board meetings and over time, with my continued involvement, I was honored to be asked to join the the Metro DC Chapter board. I am grateful for the opportunity to sit on of the board of this extremely impactful organization and, most importantly, I want to thank every one of its members for inspiring me each and every day with their passion, dedication, and stories.
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