Cystic Fibrosis Information
There is no cure. Not yet. Cystic Fibrosis is an incurable inherited disorder, affecting mainly the lungs and the digestive system. In the lungs, where the effects of the disease are most devastating, CF causes increasingly severe respiratory problems. In the digestive tract, CF often results in extreme difficulty in absorbing adequate nutrients from food. It is estimated that one in every 2,500 children born in Canada has CF. For these people, life includes a daily routine of therapy and periodic visits to a CF clinic. Treatment typically includes chest physiotherapy, antibiotics, pancreatic enzymes, nutritional supplements and vitamins, inhalation of aerosol medications, exercise - and often requires hospitalizations.But there is hope. Through advances in research and clinical care, the average age of those with CF has been raised tremendously - from just a few years in the 1960s to over 30 today. In recent years, remarkable progress has been made in CF research. In 1989, Canadians discovered the defective gene responsible for CF, resulting in an increasingly global assault on the disease, bringing us closer to a solution.
That's where we come in. As Gallivan supporters, you have every right to feel a part of these accomplishments, for it takes involvement at every level to get where we are today. Thanks to events like the Gallivan, we can all feel optimistic that the future will hold a cure or control for CF.
If you have additional inquiries about Cystic Fibrosis, please contact the Scotia Chapter of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Chapter at 425-2462 or the CCFF at 1-800-378-2233, or visit www.ccff.ca.