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ON MAY 1st OF 2002, GOD BLESSED US WITH THE BIRTH OF A BEAUTIFUL BABY BOY .... DANIEL.
LITTLE DID WE KNOW ON THAT DAY THAT A MERE 48 HOURS LATER, OUR LIVES WOULD
BE CHANGED FOREVER. WE WERE INFORMED BY THE DOCTORS AT OUR HOSPITAL THAT DANIEL HAD A SPECIFIC BLOCKAGE IN
HIS INTESTINE & THAT BECAUSE HE HAD THIS PARTICULAR BLOCKAGE, THERE WAS A 90% CHANCE THAT HE HAD CYSTIC FIBROSIS.
TWO WEEKS LATER, WE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL THAT CONFIRMED THAT HE INDEED
HAD CYSTIC FIBROSIS. WE WERE DEVASTATED.
.
LIKE MOST AMERICANS, WE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE DISEASE. WE QUICKLY LEARNED
THAT CYSTIC FIBROSIS IS A THE MOST COMMON GENETIC DISEASE IN THE UNITED STATES. IT IS A LIFE-THREATENING DISEASE
THAT AFFECTS 30,000 CHILDREN & ADULTS LIVING IN THE U.S. & OVER 70,000 WORLDWIDE. APPROXIMATELY ONE IN
31 (OR ABOUT 10 MILLION AMERCIANS TODAY) ARE CARRIERS OF THE DEFECTIVE GENE, BUT DO NOT HAVE THE DISEASE. THE
GENETICALLY DEFECTIVE GENE RENDERS CERTAIN ORGANS OF THE BODY SUSCEPTIBLE TO OBSTRUCTION, DUE TO THICK MUCUS SECRETIONS.
THE MOST SEVERE MANIFESTATIONS ARE IN THE LUNGS, WHERE THICK SECRETIONS CAN LEAD TO CHRONIC LUNG INFECTIONS WHICH
REQUIRE DAILY REGIMENS OF DRUG TREATMENTS & CHEST PHYSICAL THERAPY TO HELP CLEAR AIRWAYS. THICK
SECRETIONS IN THE PANCREAS CAN COMPROMISE FOOD ABSORPTION, LEADING TO NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES. THESE DEFICIENCIES CAN
BE PARTIALLY OVERCOME WITH NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS & ORAL ENZYMES, BOTH OF WHICH HELP THEIR BODIES BETTER ABSORB
THE NUTRIENTS & FAT IN THEIR DAILY MEALS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE PASSED & LOST BY THEIR BODIES. TO DATE, THERE
IS NO CURE FOR 'CF'. LUNG TRANSPLANTS ARE THE ONLY LIFE SAVING TREATMENTS AVAILABLE TO CF PATIENTS IN THE LATE STAGES
OF ADVANCED LUNG DISEASE.
.
WHEN
THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION WAS CREATED IN 1955, FEW CHILDREN
LIVED TO ATTEND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. TODAY, WITH THE DRAMATIC & INCREDIBLE IMPROVMENTS IN SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY, AS WELL AS THE CARE AND DEDICATION FUELED BY THE TEAMS OF DOCTORS & SCIENTISTS AT THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS
FOUNDATION, THE MEDIAN AGE OF SURVIVAL FOR PEOPLE AFFLICTED WITH "CF" IS 37.4 YEARS OLD .... & THAT
AVERAGE HAS RISEN EACH & EVERY YEAR SINCE WE BEGAN FOLLOWING THE DISEASE IN 2002!
.
THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION'S DEDICATED STAFF IS CONSTANTLY WORKING TO DEVELOP NEW LIFE-IMPROVING
& LIFE-EXTENDING DRUGS & TREATMENTS FOR THEIR CF PATIENTS. CURRENTLY, THEY HAVE MORE THAN 30
DRUGS IN VARIOUS STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT. LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE THESE DAYS, THAT RESEARCH NEEDS FUNDING IF IT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO SUCCEED.
.
WE ARE VERY PROUD TO REPORT THAT TO DATE, WE HAVE RAISED A GRAND TOTAL OF ALMOST
$ 100,000.00 ,
THANKS TO THE LOVE AND SUPPORT OF OUR FRIENDS & FAMILY. LAST YEAR (2009), WE FOUNDED "DANIEL'S
WISH FOR A CURE FOUNDATION". OUR FOUNDATION PLEDGES THAT 100% OF THE PROFITS FROM FUNDS
RAISED & DONATED TO OUR FOUNDATION WILL BE DONATED DIRECTLY TO THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION. THERE,
IT WILL BE USED TO FUND THEIR MISSION TO FIND A CURE FOR "CF". WE INVITE
YOU TO JOIN OUR TEAM & HELP US IN OUR FIGHT TO CONQUER THIS DISEASE .... FOR ALL THE 'DANIELS' OUT THERE.
.
- Richard & Bonnie-Jean Aurigemma
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When you
wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you
.
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you
.
If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do
.
Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing
Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing
.
Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true!
Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true!
.
"When You Wish Upon A Star"
.
Rosie O'Donnell & Lewis Black have provided us with joy & laughter through their comedic acts & performances over the years. Both performers were ALSO kind enough to 'get serious' for just a moment & tell us how Cystic Fibrosis has affected their lives. Also in both videos are family members & CF patients telling their stories as well.
Daniel's Wish For a Cure Foundation would like to THANK both of them Very much for taking time out of their busy schedules to record these messages & share their stories with us.
Links to both videos are provided below: