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.

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


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.

"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.

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.

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