Cystic Fibrosis Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease currently affecting 30,000 people in the United States. It is caused by the absence of CFTR (a protein), resulting in the improper channeling of chloride out of cells, leading to the build up of thick, sticky mucus in the lining of a wide range of organs, including the lungs, pancreas, liver, sweat glands. CF varies in degrees of intensity, from relatively minor physical manifestations, to death in infancy. Major effects of CF include the break down of pulmonary and digestive functions. Despite treatments such as antibiotics and physical therapy, successive pulmonary infections and inflammation can wear down the lungs, and often resulting in the need for a lung transplant. Common symptoms of CF are: deep raspy coughing, wheezing and pneumonia; poor weight gain; and bulky stools. Formerly considered a childhood disease, with a median survival age of 8, people with CF are increasingly living to be 30 or 40, but not without vigilant attention to their ever failing health. To learn more about Cystic Fibrosis, and to find out how you can contribute, take a look at these websites: The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: "The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s goal is to assure the development of the means to cure and control cystic fibrosis and to improve the quality of life for those with the disease." Cystic Fibrosis Worldwide: "CFW is an organization representing the CF community with a worldwide mandate." Go back to Laura's story