KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Community leaders in East Tennessee are getting ready for May, which is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the lungs, pancreas and other organs.
According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, there are currently nearly 40,000 people living with cystic fibrosis in the United States. The disease can affect people of every racial and ethnic group.
One of those people is 18-month-old Lennon Mae. Mae was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was just a month old.
Her grandmother, Linda Dresser, told 10News the disorder affects Mae's digestive system. She has to take enzymes that help her pancreas and her body absorb nutrients. She also takes breathing treatments every day.
Dresser has now made it her goal to raise awareness of this disorder.
"I think the more people that are aware and can support the cause, the quicker that we will be able to find a cure," she explained. "I also like the camaraderie. I think people that are new to the diagnosis need maybe some help understanding how it will affect their family and what they can do to help improve the quality of life."
Even though there is still no cure for cystic fibrosis, advancements in medicine can now stop the progression of the disorder.
Leaders in our community say it'll take everyone coming together to finally find a cure for cystic fibrosis, which is why the Tennessee chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is hosting the East Tennessee Great Strides Walk on Saturday, May 4. The event is free and starts at 9 a.m. at Victor Ashe Park in Knoxville.
The goal is to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for cystic fibrosis. Jolly Johnson, senior development director for the Tennessee Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, said it is a great opportunity for those with the disorder to be together without actually being together.
"Those living with cystic fibrosis, they cannot be together in the same room and they have to stay six feet apart," she explained. "The reason is because, living with cystic fibrosis, you get germs that build up in your lungs with the mucus, and you can contract certain bacteria and they are very easy to pass from one person living with cystic fibrosis to the other. So they have to stay apart. So this is an opportunity for them to come together because we keep everybody distanced."
There are two cystic fibrosis care centers in East Tennessee. One of them is at the East Tennessee Children's Hospital and the other one is at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
If you want more information on this disorder and how you can help, you can click here.