The World Is Abuzz

Well, maybe not the whole entire world but the CF community certainly is!

Yesterday exciting news broke that scientists from the University of Dundee have possibly found a breakthrough in the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis (CF), an incurable life-threatening illness. But it is not a cure, YET. It is a glimmer of hope for many living with this disease and for those who watch those they love live with this disease.

I woke up this morning to a post from a friend of mine on my Facebook wall saying he’d seen it on the news in the UK last night and then I found the articles with words of hope sprawled across them. It was an exciting way to wake up this morning, it makes my heart burst with hope. Another Facebook friend, who has CF, had a status up with a link to one of the news articles too and a note of hope as to how by supporting CF organisations you can help her see her children grow up and go to high school and university and even get their first jobs and she goes on to say that if she’s lucky enough she may even get to meet her future daughter-and son-in-law and that maybe even one day she can be called granny!

The study at the University of Dundee was just a small study of ten patients but it was found that through a combination of two drugs given together it reversed the key features of the disease. They found it reduced inflammation in nine out of ten of the patients’ airways and dramatically reduced the levels of salt in their sweat, which is a characteristic of Cystic Fibrosis. The team is now looking at carrying out a large-scale trial and if this is successful, it could lead to a whole new approach to treating this life-threatening illness. Every time you make a donation to a CF organisation YOU assist with this kind of research and you support those courageously fighting this incurable illness daily.

“A lesson for all of us is that for every loss, there is victory, for every sadness, there is joy, and when you think you’ve lost everything, there is hope.” ~ Geraldine Solon

In another article, a mother tells her story about how 23 years ago she signed a consent form for Dr Anil Mehta to take a sample of her daughter’s nasal cells for a study he was working. Her daughter was five at the time. She didn’t think much of it, signed the consent form and forgot about it until now, 23 long years later when two weeks ago she received an email from Dr Mehta telling her that the nasal cells had hit their mark and that they had had a eureka moment!

It goes to show that something small you do today, whether it’s helping spread the awareness about something, donating a small amount towards research or support those living with these incurable diseases, you alone can make a difference and as this news breaks, it proves it does make a difference!

So to all those who have religiously followed my blog since its inception, to all those who shared in my mountain climbing journeys and in my stories and information about Cystic Fibrosis and to all those who generously donated towards my fundraising efforts and to those who donated directly to CF organisations in your own countries, thank you for helping make a difference.

Today is filled with hope.

For all those who have lost their courageous fight against CF.

For all those courageously fighting today.

For all those loved ones who love and support those living with CF.

I believe every day this is one fight we WILL win.

And that is going to be one glorious day!

On the 11^th of the 11^th month of 2014 news of hope broke in the Cystic Fibrosis community around the world. It feels good to see so many this morning with hope in their hearts. I continue to live for that day when a cure for Cystic Fibrosis is announced to the world. I know that day is coming and I pray I will live to see it.

~ If you would like to make a donation towards a Cystic Fibrosis organisation in your country simply Google Cystic Fibrosis + your country name and it should list your local organisation. ~

~ As always, for my best friend Emma Walker, who fought CF so courageously and who showed me how to laugh and live – I miss you every single day! ~

Here’s the links to two of the news articles if you would like to read them:

Eureka moments offers hope of Cystic Fibrosis cure

New Cystic Fibrosis drug treatment may be ‘potential game-changer’

 

 

Building Sandcastles

“I will build my castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking. Remove words from my vocabulary: quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless and retreat for they are words of fools. Forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether good or bad and greet the new sun with confidence.”

This quote landed up in my bosses email inbox yesterday and in turn he forwarded it to me and asked me if I would print it out for him so he could put it up on his notice board as a reminder. When I gave it to him he reminded me of the words of wisdom I printed out for him in the first year I worked for him six and a half years ago. He said he still reads it today, it’s his constant reminder.

On a daily basis we teach each other and we remind each other when we lose track of where we should be or how we should be with ourselves and others.

Each day, we are the creators of our world.

It is often easy to forget this.

So be conscious of choosing the good stuff.

It really is that simple

And

It literally changes your world.

~ Happy ChooseDay Everyone ~