I hope you all read this messigge varey carefuley.
My name is Georgia!
I 'am in grade 2 and I'am 7!
I feel bad and good about having C.F.
I love that Jennifer is riding for me!

My C.F. by Georgia

C.F. is somthing pepole are born with. I Georgia was born with C.F. Somtimes Docters dont figer out that sombody has C.F. until maby the person is 2, or 3, or 21, or 30. I do somthing that is cald Pysio. Pysio is somthing I have to do for my C.F. I take lots of pills for my C.F. to. I dont like doing it alot but then I think about it that it's helping me. My brother Chase is varey siportuv when I get hert. I hope they find a cyuor for pepole with C.F!!! I love my family!!

Thank you for helping Jennifer ride by donateing.

Love Georgia XOXO

“Georgia’s had a rough year,” says her mum April. “Compared to last year, she was off school more because she had more stomach issues and problems with her intestine. Like other kids in her class, she got the flu but it hit her quite hard and she got dehydrated. She had to go into the hospital for an IV and within a three week period, we had three visits to the hospital. Then a couple of months later, she got a full intestinal blockage and we were back down at BC Children’s Hospital where she was in for a week.”

This year, the doctors found a new medication for Georgia to help prevent intestinal blockages, and she takes it in her orange juice. In total, Georgia takes 31 pills every day, in addition to doing physio exercises twice daily.

“She’s on a lot of medication just to keep things working properly,” says April. “I’m glad there are people who are brilliant and know the problems in detail so they can come up with more medications to help the every day symptoms Georgia’s dealing with.”

Money raised from the Gear Up 4 CF ride supports research to find better treatments for cystic fibrosis.

But Georgia doesn’t think about all the medication she has to take. Instead, she gets on with her life, plays with her friends, and is concerned about typical grade three activities – like who did what at recess. In June, she’s turning nine years old and she has big plans to celebrate her birthday. The family bought another dog and Georgia has become the household “puppy wrangler”, feeding the dogs and letting them out. She’s continuing with her dance lessons and she enjoys playing with her older brother Chase. Georgia and Chase pooled their allowance and they bought the MarioKart game for the Nintendo Wii.

“She’s a zoomer and she loves to zoom around,” says April.

Seven-year-old Georgia is a spirited girl who loves puppies, jazz dance, writing, coloring, and shopping. She enjoys her grade two class. And she has cystic fibrosis (C.F.).

“It’s amazing what kids can get used to,” says Georgia’s mum April. “We have been incredibly lucky despite her very rough start. She has only been hospitalized twice since her first long hospital stay. Now Georgia has mostly good days. Some are not so good, because her stomach can give her a lot of problems, but she has a cheery personality and bounces back quickly.”

Georgia had her first surgery the day after she was born. That operation saved her life from a serious intestinal blockage caused by C.F. Along with her family, Georgia spent the first six months of her life at BC Children's Hospital, recovering and waiting for the final operation that would allow her to come home for good. Treatment for Georgia's C.F. includes physiotherapy for her lungs, many medications to aid digestion, and antibiotics to prevent and fight lung infection. Every few months, Georgia visits her C.F. doctors for tests and follow up.

“We saw the dedication of all the doctors at the BC Children’s Hospital in caring for the kids, and all the years they’ve put into learning what best helps the kids,” says April. “As a parent, you feel helpless. We’re supporting the Gear Up Ride 4 CF for any chance that any new medication can be discovered for cystic fibrosis, to lessen the impact of all the different problems that go on with the disease.”