Saturday, December 4, 2010

Meet Gareth

Gareth Everett is a 2 1/2 year old little sweetie pie that I've only seen in pictures, but his momma is one of my great friends.  Annie, Ben, and their daughter Audrey came into our lives when we moved to Oceanside, California.  Meeting wonderful families is one of the best things of military life.

Gareth was born on April 22, 2008 and his parents knew before he was born that this little guy was going to have tough obstacles to overcome in his life.  He has cystic fibrosis.  CF is a disease that affects the entire body, with breathing difficulties at the top of the list.  Other symptoms of CF are chronic sinus infections, poor growth, diarrhea, infertility, internal scarring and cyst formations, especially in the pancreas.  CF patients lack the ability to regulate mucus, digestive juices, and sweat, thus leading to breathing and digestive difficulties.

Every day, Gareth undergoes multiple breathing treatments with a nebulizer and vest therapy.  Every day.  He has had numerous surgeries already to remove scar tissue and improve his chances of surviving this disease.  

I'm asking you to help.  All you have to do is vote on the Pepsi Refresh page for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's initiative to help children Breathe Easier.  A couple of clicks and two minutes of your time could help give $250,000 to CFF for research into hypertonic saline therapy, a promising new treatment. 

There is no cure for CF.  But you can help provide much needed research funding by supporting this cause through Pepsi Refresh.

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