C Y S T I C   F I B R O S I S
Finding A Cure
Hundreds of area residents walk to help beat disease

Lake Charles resident Ron Stoddard said he doesn't talk about losing two of his children to cystic fibrosis.

But, during the recent Great Strides walk in Lake Charles, a national fund-raiser to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis, he did.

"I want to talk about it, but it's so difficult," he said, his voice cracking.

Stoddard's son, Johnny, was 26 and his daughter, Laura Ann, was only 12 when they died of the disease.

It's a rough, damnable disease.  For years, we had hope," he said.

But that's not the case anymore.

Researchers have made significant progress in the past several years in finding a cure for CF, which is a chronic, progressive and frequently fatal genetic disease of the body's mucus glands.

CF primarily affects the respiratory, digestive, and reproductive systems and sweat glands in children and young adults.  It affects about 30,000 Americans.

About 200 people showed up at the Civic Center for Great Strides.  Many of them either suffered from the disease or knew someone who had it.

Karen Gorum was there with about 12 members of her Pokeno group.  Nicole Gest, a group member, has a 4-year-old daughter, Elexis, who has CF.

"We're here to help everyone who has it," Gorum said.

Gest said her daughter's health has improved.

 "She's actually doing good now," Gest said.  "It was tough early on.  We spent weeks and weeks in the hospital for the first two years.  We're still working on it."

Julie Park, team leader of the group from the Children's Clinic, said clinic employees participate in walks such as these as often as possible.

"We see CF patients and see what they go through, We want to do what we can to help," she said.

Jodi Zimmerman and Alice Adams Walked with their two toddlers in strollers.  Zimmerman's 13-year-old niece, Courtney George, has CF.

"It's been hard.  She was hospitalized five times this past year," she said.

Courtney's mom, Jill Stratton, was walking nearby.

"She's doing good now ... as long as winter is over. Winter's hard," she said.

Stratton walks in Great Strides every year.

Hopefully, this money will help find a cure," she said.

Adams said she has seen what Courtney has gone through.

"I've also known others who have lost children.  They need to find a cure for this," she said.

Her 9-year-old
Melissa Hansard was also with the group.  Her Daughter, Brittni Hamilton, 9, has CF.

Chris Dalme and Michal Sanchez work at the Louisiana Lions Camp for children with pulmonary disease in Leesville.

They work with kids suffering with CF and asthma every day.  They're job is not depressing, they said.

"Kids go out there where they can get away and be normal.  Everyone there has the same feelings as they do and are like they are.  They have fun," Sanchez said.

This year, the two were walking in honor of a 20-year-old friend at the camp who died of CF just last week.

"He had a lung transplant last year and was doing good.  But, he had to go to the hospital and was put on a ventilator and died," Dalme said.  It was rough on us.  It was a shock.  He was good kid."

Life expectancy for the disease has gone from the teens to age 30 currently.

Stoddard, who said this is the first time he's participated in Great Strides, said a teen-aged relative with CF recently had a lung transplant.

"She was down to 15 percent lung capacity, but now, she's doing great.  She's off and running.  Her mom can't keep up with her."

Local businessman and Great Strides chairman, Peter O'Carrol said this year's walk raised about $11.000 locally for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

For more information on cystic fibrosis, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, or the programs available to people with the disease, visit the CF Foundation's Web site at
www.cff.org or call 1-800-FIGHT-CF.