My husband and I spent our first weekend as parents contemplating the news that our new son had cystic fibrosis. Although we handled it in very different ways, we were ultimately able to overcome the initial shock, with an entire team to help us along the way.
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After managing various chronic symptoms my whole life, I was finally diagnosed with CF as an adult. As I struggled to cope with the news, my community rallied around me and taught me what true support looks like.
My oldest son, Nathan, was 18 years old when he was finally diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. While we both had been waiting a long time to get an answer to what had been plaguing him, I'd been hoping and praying that he'd escape the CF sentence. The diagnosis, however, did not come as a surprise because exactly 35 days earlier, my younger son, Caleb, at 14 years, had already been diagnosed with CF.
It took an agonizing five months to learn whether my second son had cystic fibrosis. After two inconclusive sweat tests, a DNA test finally gave us the answer.
I struggled emotionally after learning that after negative carrier and newborn screens, my son had cystic fibrosis. I’m now advocating for people with rare mutations.
Our dream for our daughter, Eden, is the same one that parents have for their kids who don't have cystic fibrosis. We want her to be happy and realize her true potential.
When my daughter was born, her newborn screening indicated that it was unlikely she had CF. But after months of mysterious symptoms, a sweat test confirmed her diagnosis. This unlocked answers not only for my daughter, but for our entire family.
The recent birth of my son brought me news that I never expected -- a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis.
Despite my knowledge of cystic fibrosis, I was scared when my son was diagnosed with the disease. I already had a toddler and worried how I would balance her needs with his medical care. Now that he is a year old, I realize my fears were worse than reality.
Watch three women talk about growing up with CF in the '80s and how they defied their doctors' expectations.