Cystic Fibrosis goes "further for all" with New West walk

It’s an opportunity to walk for change, and a bid to make Cystic Fibrosis a thing of the past.

Cystic Fibrosis Canada has chosen Ryall Park in Queensborough to be the gathering place for its Walk to Make Cystic Fibrosis History. The walk will be happening on Sunday, May 28 from 8:30 to 11am.

“It’s done in the month of May because it’s actually Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month,” explains Christy Thomson, the regional executive director of the Western Canada division.

This is the walk’s 19th year, and along with in-person options, there’s a virtual option for those who aren’t able to make it the day of.

“It’s grown within British Columbia; it’s been held in Vancouver, and it’s been held in New Westminster. We’ve gone back and forth, but we’ve stuck to New Westminster [because] it makes it very local for many, many communities to be able to come and join the walk,” says Thomson.

She adds that this is a disease that still impacts a lot of people; it’s genetic and fatal. Children are born with it, and it causes severe damage to the lungs, digestive system, and other organs in the body. According to Cystic Fibrosis Canada, more than 4,300 Canadian children, adolescents, and adults with the disease attend specialized clinics, with half of the Canadians who died with CF in the past five years being under the age of 37.

“It’s like you’re running a 400 metre sprint: you’re at the end, you’re trying to catch your breath, and you can’t quite take in enough air at one moment…that’s what it felt like to brush your teeth,” explains Tara Borque in a video for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, adding she also takes pills to digest her food because her body isn’t able to absorb all the nutrients on its own.

While there has been some recent hope in the form of certain medications, Thomson stresses there’s still much to be done.

“There are drugs available to be able to help those living with it, which allows people to live longer with the actual disease. But there is no cure by any means. The drugs that are available are not available to everyone who has Cystic Fibrosis: there are different genes and mutations, and there is still about 10% of those living with Cystic Fibrosis for which there is not a drug available.”

For Shae Fowler, who recently joined the group as its event specialist, it was surprising to hear the comparison between COVID-19 and CF.

“It was one of the most profound things that I learned coming into the organization: [COVID was like the] litmus test, and you had so many people who were fighting masks and fighting physical distancing, and all of these things that people [with Cystic Fibrosis] have to live with every single day,” she elaborates.

For those with a diagnosis, and the families and friends who care for and about them, the walk is not only a fundraiser and a way to raise awareness, it also serves as an opportunity to come together as a community, and cheer each other on in an empathetic and uplifting environment.

“Honestly, the best part of the walk is we get families that come out and are so excited to see each other because … with this disease, people don’t actually get together in enclosed spaces. This is an outdoor event that allows people to be very much inclusive with each other, they can catch up, and they’re just so excited to be able to have people helping them,” says Thomson.

“We are working really hard to find [a cure] through research, to find a path to a cure, and we do eventually want CF—Cystic Fibrosis—to stand for 'cure found.’ That is our ultimate goal.”

If you’d like to learn more about opportunities to take part, whether it’s walking, donating, or volunteering, check out the following links:

• Visit this link to become a volunteer for the walk!

• Visit this link to take part in the organization’s 50/50 raffle, which will be drawn on May 30, 2023.

• This link will take you to the registration page for the event.