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When I was growing up, having a positive cystic fibrosis diagnosis did not automatically mean that I got the care and treatments I needed. It wasn't until my 22nd birthday, when I was in poor health, that I decided I needed to get healthy and speak out for myself.

As we look forward to 2018, our President and CEO, Preston W. Campbell, III, M.D., shares a special holiday message to the cystic fibrosis community.

If you're the parent of a child with cystic fibrosis, you probably know the worry that comes along with sending your kid away to summer camp. To ensure that my own kids with CF were cared for at camp, I wrote the following letter outlining their special medical needs.

There are a lot of misconceptions about illnesses. For one, you're supposed to look sick -- or like other people's perception of a sick person. Once I started to doubt myself and the gravity of my illness, I began internalizing a whole lot of guilt.

I recently attended the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Lung Transplantation Summit. Many of the areas for improvement cited by the experts matched what I have seen as the mother of a two-time double-lung transplant recipient.

March on the Hill brings a mix of new and familiar faces to Capitol Hill every year. The connections and stories that our advocates share with their elected officials are making lasting impressions that impact the entire CF community. And as this event has grown, so too has the cystic fibrosis story.

Sometimes during weak moments, when my lung function has dropped despite doing everything in my power to hold off the destruction, I think, “What's the point?” Then I remind myself of the larger goal …

Cystic fibrosis can't take living away, especially when one loves life! 

When my 8-year-old daughter with CF found out that the disease is potentially fatal, I was grateful for her optimistic views on life and death. But deep down, I was saddened with the thought of a cure being so far away that I wouldn't be around to see it. Today, my fears have dwindled. 

When I ran into a particularly difficult situation with my last job, the “d” word entered my lexicon for the first time: disability. While my life doesn't look like I thought it would, I have come to accept where I am and gained a new perspective on work and life.