Hello Friends and Family of the Breathe Team!
We are so excited to be running this year’s NYC Marathon for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Our passionate, athletic, and dare I say hilarious team is Bryn Anderson, Samantha Eddy, Victoria Gamberoni, and Brendan Sullivan. We will be taking on the challenge of running 26.2 miles through the boroughs of NYC in November 2026 to support the fight against Cystic Fibrosis.
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic condition caused by a dysfunctional protein present throughout the body, and causes people with CF to have health issues related to their lungs, pancreas, and digestive system. CF is a progressive and chronic disease which impacts the lives of those with CF more as they grow older. Individuals commonly have digestive problems that result in the need for medications around meals, frequent lung infections requiring antibiotics and daily therapies, and can even progress to hospitalizations or lung transplants.
Brendan: I was diagnosed with CF at birth and grew up only knowing what it was like to live with CF. My health had its ups and downs as I managed my condition which consisted of hours of daily treatments, handfuls of pills, and recurrent sick days from school and sports when I needed rest. I tried my best to live a “normal life” throughout my childhood and have some very fond memories, though there were times I had to miss out on school events, hockey games, or even holidays when I was at my lowest. I’ve been hospitalized four times in my life because of CF and those were the moments when it felt like I didn’t have control over my health or my future. Although these struggles were difficult and at times overwhelming, the support of my friends, family, and clinicians got me through my darkest moments. As medical advancements in CF have come to life, my health has improved and with that my ability to pursue the things I always dreamed of are now a reality. I’m so grateful for the CF Foundation because if it weren’t for them I can truly say I may not be here writing this message to you, or have the lungs to run at all, but the work of this foundation has given me a second chance at life.
The life expectancy for people with CF was limited for many years, however, with the persistent efforts made by the CF community the outlook for those with CF has drastically improved. In just the past 20 years the life expectancy for people with CF has doubled (32 years in 2005 to now 65 years!) This shift in the quality of life for those with CF is breathtaking, and it is a direct cause of the CF Foundation and their relentless pursuit of funding groundbreaking research and medical advancements to give people with CF a second chance at life.
People often ask “why would you want to run a marathon?”. Sometimes it’s hard to give an answer because let’s be honest, do any of us LOVE running for hours on end? I think the love for running comes from something deeper, it comes from having a purpose bigger than yourself. It’s lacing up the shoes on a cold Saturday morning alone for a long run knowing that there are people out there, CF or not, who would give anything to be able to run one mile. It comes from a place of privilege that while we have the health to run a marathon, we take that opportunity while we can. When things get really tough 20 miles into the race and your legs feel like they might collapse under you, or maybe you ask yourself what in the world was I thinking when I signed up for this race. At that moment we will remind ourselves that we are here for those battling CF every day, and know if someone can get through a hospitalization, a lung transplant, or a family member grieving the loss of a loved one with CF, that we can finish this race.
We want to thank you all, whether you’ve been on this journey with us for 25 years, or if this is your first time hearing about CF. It truly takes a village and our mission to cure CF is one that cannot be done alone, however, it’s the love and support from you that makes those dreams a reality for people fighting their battle with CF. Please feel free to share this page with anyone in your life and send us some words of encouragement and most importantly some jokes to get us through 26.2 miles of running, sweating, crying, and laughing.
