2026 Letter

The Same Answer Every Day

Every day, my mom checks in and asks, “How was your day? What’s new? How do you feel?” My answer is usually the same: “Nothing, fine.” And honestly… that’s not a lie. There’s no dramatic change, no breakthrough, no miracle. Just the same cycle of pain, exhaustion, breathing treatments, pills and daily reminders that living with cystic fibrosis (CF) never takes a break.

Hoping something different might help with all my ongoing pain & CF struggles which have increased significantly over the past couple of years, we (because my parents and I are a team) decided to see a functional, holistic doctor this past August. A functional doctor takes a very different approach than my usual CF care team. Instead of focusing on managing symptoms, they try to look at the “root cause” of issues through nutrition, supplements, gut health, and more personalized testing.

After many blood draws and tests, for the next 7 months I was taking 40 pills a day, swallowing liquids that tasted awful, and my parents spent thousands of dollars hoping something would finally make a difference. We stayed hopeful and committed thinking this might finally change how I felt day to day, but as time went on, nothing improved.

We tried, but it failed. Pills, memberships, appointments, “wellness solutions”, fancy liquids—they cannot fix what really matters – a day living without pain! Of course, CF treatments and therapies help handle symptoms and my quality of life, but a true cure relies on research, innovation, and support. And that takes money – lots of it.

Although there have been improved medications because of all the fundraising, this has been temporary for me. Living with CF is exhausting in ways most people can’t imagine. Every day involves managing medications, treatments, and symptoms that never take a break. To be honest, I put on a brave face daily, but it’s physically and mentally draining, some days feel impossible.

Personally, it is getting even harder writing these letters, asking for donations and attending the annual Great Strides Walk. Talking about it year after year can feel tiresome, especially when so much of my answer is still “nothing, fine.” But I continue to show up because this matters to me, and because of all the people who show up for me I greatly appreciate it!  At 25 years old, all I want is to live a life pill free, therapy/treatment free, and sip Shirley Temples (maybe espresso martinis).

Deirdre’s Team is approaching $600,000 raised over the past 25 years which we are forever grateful for!  Please consider supporting Deirdre’s Team. Every step we take, and every dollar given brings us closer to a world where CF no longer controls lives.

Much love & gratitude,

Deirdre