Benson's Blog

Dear Friends,

I am asking for your support as I participate again in GREAT STRIDES, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's annual, nationwide walk event that raises money to help support vital Cystic Fibrosis (CF) research and care programs. This year's walk will be held on May 16th at Santana Row in San Jose. Your donation will be well spent as more than 90 cents of every dollar raised by the CF Foundation is used to support its critical programs.

What is Cystic Fibrosis?
Cystic Fibrosis is a fatal genetic disease that affects over 30,000 Americans. This disease is marked by chronic lung infections, clogged airways, and digestive and reproductive problems. One out of every 31 Americans is a symptomless carrier of the defective CF gene. When the CF Foundation was founded in 1955, children with CF were not expected to see their first day of elementary school. Many people with the disease can now expect to live in to their 30s, 40s, and beyond. This progress is amazing - but not good enough - as we continue to lose at least one precious life to CF every day.

Team Claire: My niece Claire was diagnosed with CF when she was 15 months old. She is now almost 6 years old and works hard everyday to maintain good health. Her treatments include 1-2 hours per day of medications, lung therapy, digestive enzymes, and vitamins.Over this last year, she has had a few lung infections, but overall has stayed healthy thanks to the treatments that are available. She is now in kindergarten and in her free time loves to swim, play soccer, and go to ballet class. She is full of life and energy, and is a light in our lives. Fortunately, medications that could potentially cure Claire's type of CF are currently in clinical trials and so far look very promising. Events like GREAT STRIDES raise money that is needed in the battle against CF and help us get closer to a cure.

Any amount you can donate will be greatly appreciated. You can donate by writing a check payable to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation or donate online at www.cff.org/great_strides/BensonFlores. Together, we can help make "CF" stand for "Cure Found"!

Sincerely,
Benson Flores

Or is that ying and yang? :) I'm present to completions and new beginnings this week.

Completions: I donated my car to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and they picked it up this week. Bye bye, car of ten years! I found out my hospice guy did pass away on Sunday morning (half a day from when I said goodbye to him). And I'm finally feeling more like myself again after my brush with death - well, after my fall and consequent sore back!

New beginnings: it seems like work is brand new - it's been a challenging week (perhaps it's just me getting back into the grove again after my two weeks off). I feel like I am getting a new relationship with my body after consistently working out. And, despite all the gloom and doom of the news (and I have been in the thick of it), there is a certain feeling of a fresh start coming with Obama soon to take office.

No one said it was going to be easy!

The Carleton University Students' Association has voted to drop a cystic fibrosis charity as the beneficiary of its annual Shinearama fundraiser, supporting a motion that argued the disease is not "inclusive" enough. Cystic fibrosis "has been recently revealed to only affect white people, and primarily men" said the motion read Monday night...

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Dear Friends,

I am asking for your support as I participate again in GREAT STRIDES, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's annual, nationwide walk event that raises money to help support vital Cystic Fibrosis (CF) research and care programs. This year's walk will be held on May 18th at Santana Row in San Jose. Your donation will be well spent as more than 90 cents of every dollar raised by the CF Foundation is used to support its critical programs.

What is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic Fibrosis is a fatal genetic disease that affects over 30,000Americans. This disease is marked by chronic lung infections, clogged airways, and digestive and reproductive problems. One out of every 31 Americans is a symptomless carrier of the defective CF gene. When the CF Foundation was founded in 1955, children with CF were not expected to see their first day of elementary school. Many people with the disease can now expect to live in to their 30s, 40s, and beyond. This progress is amazing - but not good enough - as we continue to lose at least one precious life to CF every day.

Team Claire: My niece Claire was diagnosed with CF when she was 15 months old. She is now almost 5 years old and works hard everyday to maintain good health. Her treatments include 1-2 hours per day of medications, lung therapy, digestive enzymes, and vitamins. Over this last year, she has faced severe lung infections and problems maintaining her weight. But through all of this, she still manages to go to preschool, swim, and play soccer. Fortunately, medications that could potentially cure Claire's type of CF are currently in clinical trials and so far look very promising. Events like GREAT STRIDES raise money that is needed in the battle against CF and help us get closer to a cure.

Any amount you can donate will be greatly appreciated. You can donate online at www.cff.org/great_strides/BensonFlores. Together, we can help make "CF" stand for "Cure Found"!

Sincerely,
Benson Flores

Help Cure Cystic Fibrosis!

Dear Friends,

I am asking for your support as I participate in GREAT STRIDES, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s annual, nationwide walk event that raises money to help support vital Cystic Fibrosis (CF) research and care programs. This year’s walk will be held on May 7 th, 2006. Your donation will be well spent as more than 90 cents of every dollar raised by the CF Foundation is used to support its critical programs.

What is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic Fibrosis is a fatal genetic disease that affects over 30,000Americans. This disease is marked by chronic lung infections, clogged airways, and digestive and reproductive problems. More than 10 million Americans are symptomless carriers of the defective CF gene. When the CF Foundation was founded in 1955, children with CF were not expected to see their first day of elementary school. Today, more than 40 percent of the CF patient population is age 18 or older. This progress is amazing - but not good enough - as we continue to lose at least one precious life to CF every day.

Team Claire: Our team will walk alongside, and in support of my niece, Claire Alexander who was diagnosed with CF when she was 15 months old. Today she is 2½ years old and the road has been rough. Fortunately, with daily medications, chest therapy, and digestive enzymes, she has been able to maintain good health most of the time. A medication is currently in clinical trials for Claire’s rare type of CF that holds great promise. Events like GREAT STRIDES raise money to help further the development of such treatments and help find a cure.

You can donate by writing a check payable to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, or donate online at www.cff.org/great_strides/BensonFlores. Together, we can help make “CF” stand for “Cure Found”!

Sincerely,

Benson Flores

P.S. I realize the walk has already happened, but it's not too late to donate!