In May, the cystic fibrosis community comes together for Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month to educate others about cystic fibrosis, share personal stories, and promote finding a cure. This year’s theme is “Unity in Community.”
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic condition that causes problems with breathing and digestion. It’s progressive, meaning it gets worse as time goes on. According to the American Lung Association, there are currently over 70,000 children and adults living with CF across the world. CF affects people of all races and ethnicities.
May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. During this month, individuals with CF are encouraged to tell their stories to help educate people about CF. This year’s theme is “Unity in Community.” Telling your story on social media along with #CFAwarenessMonth is one great way to participate.
Since 2008, May has been recognized as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. To help promote this year’s theme, “Unity in Community,” the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has prepared art and images for you to post to social media in May.
If you have CF, help educate others by sharing your personal CF story, how you’ve found support, how you connect with others in the CF community, and other tips you have. Include #CFAwarenessMonth” on your social media posts.
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will be sharing your stories on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram throughout May.
You can show unity in your community by participating in a local Great Strides fundraiser in your area. Though these 3-mile fundraiser walks take place year-round, many are scheduled during Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. You can register as an individual walker or as a team.
Here’s more information about the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Great Strides events and how you can register.
Cystic fibrosis facts and stats
- Nearly 40,000 people in the United States, of all racial and ethnic groups, have cystic fibrosis.
- Today, over half of all people with cystic fibrosis are 18 or more years old, and many may live into their 30s, 40s, or beyond. Life expectancy is complex and based on many factors, like the severity of an individual’s CF, the genetic changes that caused an individual’s CF, and other health conditions an individual may have.
- Checking for cystic fibrosis is now a part of
all newborn screenings in the United States, helping to ensure babies with CF get early and potentially life-saving treatment.
- Approximately 1,000 people are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis each year.
For people with CF, the condition causes their bodies to produce thick, sticky mucus. This thicker mucus in the lungs can make breathing difficult, and in the digestive tract, it can make it hard to absorb enough nutrients – even if you’re eating enough food.
Since CF affects multiple organs in the body, it can cause a
- salty skin
- constipation
- cough that doesn’t go away, sometimes with thick mucus or blood
- frequent respiratory infections
- oily, foul-smelling stools
- growths in the nose (nasal polyps)
- infertility (in people assigned male at birth)
- poor growth or weight gain in children
- shortness of breath
- wheezing
CF is a chronic condition that worsens over time. People with CF require lifelong medical care and treatment. Though many people with CF are living longer — into their 40s and beyond, many still have serious and life threatening complications from CF.
New CF treatments, like medications called (CFTR) modulators, are successful in treating some types of CF, but for many people, these new treatments can’t help. More research is needed to help discover and develop more effective treatments.
Part of the emphasis of Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month is helping to find a cure.
May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. The 2023 theme is “Unity in Community,” and people with CF are encouraged to tell their stories on social media with #CFAwarenessMonth.
By sharing what’s like to live with CF, sources of support and community, and stories of hope, people with CF can help educate and inform their community and the world about CF.