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We asked you: What is the hardest part about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What is the hardest part about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What is the hardest part about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What is the hardest part about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What is the hardest part about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What is the hardest part about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What is the hardest part about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What is the hardest part about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What is the hardest part about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What is the hardest part about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

Jen Dunlea learned early on how isolating living with cystic fibrosis can be. She noticed other kids didn’t do hours of treatments or spend months in the hospital.

“The only people who truly understand what we endure are the very people we can’t hug. Growing up with an invisible disease made me feel separate long before I understood why.”

Behind the scenes, CF requires relentless daily upkeep. Nebulizers, pills, antibiotics, enzymes — all managed alongside doctors, pharmacies, insurance companies, and more. Yet for Jen, one of the most overlooked parts of CF isn’t physical at all.

“We spend so much energy treating the body that we neglect the mind. Living with CF isn’t just medical — it’s emotional. It’s learning to carry something heavy that no one else can see.”

Still, Jen holds onto a truth she’s learned through experience: “We are individuals with passions, relationships, ambitions, and identities that exist beyond our diagnosis. It’s easy to feel consumed by CF, but we are bigger than this disease.”

“Cystic fibrosis doesn’t turn off.”

Even on his best days — running for miles at a time, training other athletes, building and growing gym businesses — Bradley Poole is carrying a burden no one can see.

“Most people don’t realize how mental CF is. The invisible weight of knowing your body is fighting itself every day is the part that requires the most resilience.”

Bradley knows the discipline it takes to maintain his health while living with CF. It’s a responsibility he carries every single day.

“Staying alive with CF isn’t passive. It’s hours of treatments, medications, exercise, structure, and intentional living.”

While CF may shape Bradley’s routines, it hasn’t defined his limits. He’s currently training to run from Florida to New York to push his limits.

His message to others in the CF community?

“You are stronger than you think. Your battle might be invisible to the world, but it’s seen by those who matter. Keep fighting. Keep showing up. Own your hard — whatever that looks like for you.”

It’s Clinical Trials Day! Hear from Rose Williams, an adult with cystic fibrosis, about her experience participating in clinical trials.

Our understanding and treatment of cystic fibrosis has evolved significantly since Dr. Dorothy Andersen first discovered the disease in 1938, but harmful misconceptions still remain. During CF Awareness Month, help us share key facts to raise greater awareness.

Our understanding and treatment of cystic fibrosis has evolved significantly since Dr. Dorothy Andersen first discovered the disease in 1938, but harmful misconceptions still remain. During CF Awareness Month, help us share key facts to raise greater awareness.

Our understanding and treatment of cystic fibrosis has evolved significantly since Dr. Dorothy Andersen first discovered the disease in 1938, but harmful misconceptions still remain. During CF Awareness Month, help us share key facts to raise greater awareness.

Our understanding and treatment of cystic fibrosis has evolved significantly since Dr. Dorothy Andersen first discovered the disease in 1938, but harmful misconceptions still remain. During CF Awareness Month, help us share key facts to raise greater awareness.

Staying healthy with cystic fibrosis takes work every single day.

For Kadyn, that means constantly prioritizing her health just to feel “normal.” Staying well isn’t something that happens by chance — it requires daily treatments, nutrition, and exercise.

“I wish people understood how much effort goes into staying healthy every single day.”

But for Kadyn, the hardest part isn’t always physical.

“The mental side is really overlooked, especially with body image and consistency. It’s hard to stay confident and keep routines when getting sick can set you back physically, even when you’re doing everything right.”

Through countless surgeries and challenges, CF has shaped Kadyn into someone disciplined, resilient, and deeply driven.

Her message to others living with CF?

“Keep showing up for yourself, even on the days when it feels exhausting. Progress isn’t always perfect, but the effort you put in matters more than you think.”

Living with cystic fibrosis can be exhausting — especially the parts that not everyone sees.

We asked you: What do you wish people knew about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What do you wish people knew about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What do you wish people knew about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What do you wish people knew about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What do you wish people knew about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What do you wish people knew about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What do you wish people knew about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

We asked you: What do you wish people knew about life with cystic fibrosis? Here are just some of your responses.

Today we celebrate the many ways motherhood shows up in the cystic fibrosis community — with love, resilience, and the everyday moments that matter most. Happy Mother’s Day! 🌸

Yesenia spent 17 years searching for the answers behind her symptoms — until she was finally diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

“Learning I had a lifelong condition while still figuring out who I was changed the way I understood my health and my life. There wasn’t much information or many resources available for someone my age navigating CF for the first time.”

As she began to make sense of her diagnosis, Yesenia quickly realized that managing CF required far more support than what happened during clinic visits alone.

“Navigating college and the workplace pushed me to quickly learn my rights and how to advocate for myself because that kind of guidance wasn’t readily available.”

Those experiences shaped how Yesenia shows up today. As a Mexican woman diagnosed later in life, she’s passionate about raising awareness and supporting others who may be walking similar, often overlooked paths.

“Many people believe newborn screening will always detect CF, but rare genes like mine can sometimes be missed. The more we speak openly about our experiences, the most we can help others living with CF feel informed, supported, and less alone.”

For KC Cook, living with cystic fibrosis means making decisions every day that most people never have to think about. Listening to his body. Adjusting plans. Constantly recalibrating life around what his health is asking of him.

“Just because this disease is invisible at times doesn’t mean it isn’t an incredible burden to live with. It influences every decision we make.”

One thing KC wishes people understood — including within the CF community — is that no two CF experiences are the same.

“Some of us have harder or easier paths than others. We may not understand each other’s battles, but we should always be supportive and grateful for what we do have.”

He’s also wishes that more people realized that while CFTR modulators marked an amazing step forward, they are not a cure.

“Members of the CF community, myself included, still don’t benefit from these therapies. We can’t slow the momentum of research. There’s more work to be done.”

To others living with CF, KC has one message:

“Never give up. This life can be precious if we let it be. Resilience isn’t taught, it’s learned. You will find that you are capable of so much more than you think.”

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. In honor of CF Awareness Month, help share these statistics to raise greater awareness!

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. In honor of CF Awareness Month, help share these statistics to raise greater awareness!

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. In honor of CF Awareness Month, help share these statistics to raise greater awareness!

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. In honor of CF Awareness Month, help share these statistics to raise greater awareness!