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For more information on Cystic Fibrosis please visit the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at www.cysticfibrosis.ca

Each province in Canada has active Chapters. There are a total of 50 chapters located in Canada. Individual chapters are made up of volunteers who are deeply committed to finding a solution to CF. They organize and stage fund raising activates, raise awareness of CF in their local communities, and support family and friends who are coping with CF daily.

Click here to find a CCFF Chapter near you.

Contact Us

Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Vancouver and Lower Mainland

4050 Graveley Street
Burnaby
British Columbia
Canada
V5C 4A5

Telephone: (604)436-1158

Our chapter office is open
Monday-Friday from 9:30am-5:00pm
Bellingham Bound PDF Print E-mail
Saturday May 30, 2008 Saturday morning at 9 am found seven of us walking across Peace Arch Park toward the American border for a days cycling in rural NW Washington State. John Joyce led the contingent having made the trip many times before with his Altus Cycling Club. Leona and Max brought Chris Blohmke with them (who had enjoyed a successful fundraiser at the CocoaNymph shop the previous evening) and I showed up in the company of Sandi Saunier and Mieko Rennie my usual cycling companions. Crossing the border by bicycle is better than having a Nexus card ( definitely a low risk group). NW Washington state once you get a few hundred feet away from the I5 is a lot quieter and rural than the ever busy Lower Mainland. We took the Blaine turnoff right past the customs booth and then right again a few kilometers (oops..miles) on heading Birch Bay. A beautiful ride along the bay in even better weather. I have lived in BC since 1974 and I had never visited Birch Bay. Go figure. So our bike treks are having benefits way beyond CF fundraising. Benefits such as having two extra belt holes available and enjoying the company of very interesting like-minded people. It’s a rural route with the odd rolling hill. We cycled past the Alcoa plant and then the refinery at Cherry Point before entering the Lummi Indian reserve and turned right at the casino and headed down Haxton Way to the waterfront and ferry terminal to Lummi Island. The IR is quite undeveloped and reminded me of what rural America may have looked like 50 years ago. We then made the long cycle on the Bellingham Bay waterfront back up the peninsula towards Bellingham. Fantastic cycling and Chris and I engaged in a two man breakaway that left me quite winded 8 km. on. Lots of eagles feeding at the shoreline on the low tide. Lunchtime found us at the market in Bellingham for an extended stay at the pizzeria. Cycle hard…eat big pizzas. More benefits again. John finally corralled us and we headed in the reverse direction although we cut of the final loop to Birch Bay. 135 km of sunny cycling. Great group, great ride….thanks John for being our guide.. even though you never did get paid.
 

Is there a cure?

As yet, there is no known cure for CF, but there is real hope. Comprehensive treatment programs have dramatically extended the life expectancy of persons with CF and many are living into their 20s, 30s and beyond.

Recent years have seen remarkable progress in CF research. Since 1989 when Canadian researchers discovered the gene responsible for CF, global research to find a cure for the disease has brought us closer and closer to a solution.

The astonishing pace of CF science suggests that there is good reason to feel optimistic about the future.

How does CF affect daily life?

For persons with CF, life includes a daily routine of therapy and periodic visits to a CF clinic. Otherwise, most individuals with cystic fibrosis lead normal lives, for many years, in terms of education, physical activity, and social relationships. Eventually, however, lung disease places increasing limits on daily life.

Thanks to the advances in research and clinical care, growing numbers of children with CF are surviving into adulthood. In 1960, when the CCFF was founded, a child born with cystic fibrosis rarely lived four years. CCFF is one of the few organizations that maintains extensive records, tracking a CF patient from first diagnosis. This data base called, the Canadian Patient Data Registry, is proving that advances have been made with the recent announcement that the median age of survival of Canadians with CF has reached its highest point ever: 37 years of age. This means that Canadians with CF now have a 50% chance of living beyond the age of 37. While this is positive news, the need for a cure is crucial for the 50% who won't reach the age of 37.

Over 41% of all Canadians with CF are over the age of 18 years. These men and women are pursuing post-secondary education, careers and many are having families of their own; a tremendous accomplishment, but not enough.