About
A message from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
CF is a genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 people in the United States. A defective gene causes the body to produce abnormally thick, sticky mucus that leads to chronic and life-threatening lung-infections and impairs digestion. When the CF Foundation was created in 1955, few children lived to attend elementary school. Today, because of research and care supported by the CF Foundation with money raised through donations from individuals, corporations and foundations, the median age of survival for people with CF is in the early 30s.
More than ten million Americans, or approximately one in 31 people, are unknowing carriers of the defective CF gene. The goals of National CF Awareness Month include raising awareness of this fact and increasing the profile of the disease by creating a greater understanding among the public of its symptoms and of the progress toward a cure.
The CF Foundation strongly believes that an investment in CF medical research is an investment in the future of all people with the disease. There are currently nearly two dozen potential therapies for CF in the CF Foundation's drug development pipeline. Any one of these (or a combination) could have a profound impact on the lives of people with CF.
In the December 2003 issue of SmartMoney, the CF Foundation has been cited as the "top charity in the health-research category." Maintaining efficiency and a strict commitment to programs on behalf of all people with CF is essential to our mission. It is helpful and encouraging to us when other organizations recognize this dedication because it reminds our donors and contributors, as well as our patients and their families, that this organization is a worthy one. Rest assured that the CF Foundation will remain on the same path until the fight against CF is brought to a triumphant close.
The mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is to assure the development
of the means to cure and control cystic fibrosis (CF) and to improve the
quality of life for those with the disease. For more information on CF
and the CF Foundation, please visit their website: www.cff.org.
