Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a nonprofit organization, dedicated to helping children and adults fight cystic fibrosis (CF) and to finding a cure for this fatal, genetic disease. The Foundation was started by a group of parents dedicated to expanding awareness of CF, advancing research and developing new treatments that could improve the health and well being of their children. Volunteers and staff have helped the CF Foundation emerge as a leader in fund-raising--developing successful tools and innovative programs to raise money. Today, as the leading organization tackling CF, the CF Foundation is the primary sponsor of critical research that is making tremendous strides to cure and control this disease. The Foundation also funds patient/family education and has accredited and funded a nationwide network of CF care centers, which provide comprehensive, specialized care. There are now 115 Foundation-accredited care centers and 54 affiliate programs throughout the country, with more than 24,000 patients. When the Foundation was established in 1955, few children with CF lived to attend elementary school. Today, there is a sense of excitement and optimism in the CF community as people with the disease are living longer than ever before. The predicted CF median survival age is now 37 years, and more than 40 percent of CF patients are age 18 or older. This is progress, but still not enough, since this age is about half that of an average American who does not have the disease.