CF Walk 2009!

It's that time of the year again! Time for the Annual CF Great Strides Walk! For those of you who don't know the special friendship our family shares with the Stoutenbergs, let me share it with you.

When Ted was 6 months old, I went to a new moms group at the Boulder JCC. In walked Stacy with her 9 month old son, Jack. It all began with that first meeting. Since then, our two boys have been together more than they have been apart. Ted and Jack swam together at Infant Aquatics, took soccer together, went to the JCC Preschool together for 3 years, and are now in 1^st grade Sunday school together at Har HaShem. They are such good friends. Sam and Jason, both 5, have followed their brothers’ example and are also great friends. What treasures my boys have found in Jack and Jason. I have no doubt that they will remain friends throughout their lives.

Jack and Jason were diagnosed with CF (Cystic Fibrosis) as infants. CF is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and obstructs the pancreas, causing lung infections and stopping natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food. In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond. We want Jack and Jason to live long and happy lives!

I am going to walk in the annual CF Great Strides 5K in Denver on May 16, 2009. I have chosen $1500 as my personal fundraising goal. If you would like to sponsor me, I would be so grateful! 

I have set up an online donation page at: http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/EllenMoeller. Your generous gift will be used efficiently and effectively, as nearly 90 cents of every dollar raised is available for investment in vital CF programs to support research, care and education.

Thank you in advance for any donation you can pledge- no amount is too small!! I’ll be sure to post pictures from the walk on my homepage. It is an annual family event and will be thoroughly documented! More info about the walk can be found at: http://www.cff.org/

We've been doing the CF Walk since Ted and Jack were quite little and I can't imagine Springtime without it. Of course, some day, we all hope we won't need to walk or raise money because a cure will be found. But until then, we walk! Thanks for reading and hug your children close today!