"I try to reassure everyone who has been affected by this disease that CF isn't the end of the world if you don't want it to be."
The experience of living with cystic fibrosis is markedly different today than it was decades ago. Thanks to the discovery of the CF gene, the availability of effective drug therapies and advances in technology, the 30,000 Americans who deal with the disease day in and day out are living longer and fuller lives. In a word, they are thriving.
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Podcast 79: Chad Brown - Laps for Life with CF

Chad Brown is 27 years old with cystic fibrosis and lives in Seattle, Wash. Chad took his FEV1’s from 29% to 58% through the power of swimming. He previously was listed for a double lung transplant, and now he is getting his college degree, working to support himself, and exercising for life! Chad moved from Memphis to Seattle a few years ago and with a new CF team and new therapy and exercise discipline, he is LIVING, BREATHING and SUCCEEDING on a daily basis.

  • Chad was born in Tennessee and was diagnosed at birth.
  • “Growing up I was always treated very differently and in many ways babied. This temporarily helped me cope with the disease, but eventually it took a negative toll on me," Chad says.
  • Insurance issues forced Chad to move to the state of Washington. “Washington has a user friendly state insurance program for people with cystic fibrosis."
  • “For me, along with my therapies, swimming has kept me alive and healthy. When I first started swimming, I could barely swim a lap. I now swim 45 minutes ... 5 days a week!”
  • Chad is pursuing a college degree in engineering, working more than 30 hours a week to support himself, involved in a great relationship and looking forward to marriage and starting a family. “Life is good," he says.
  • Chad’s advice to others with CF: “No matter what, NEVER give up. It’s your life, and you only have one, so take charge and care of yourself!”

This “LIVING. BREATHING. SUCCEEDING.” Podcast/Vodcast series is the 1st in a series of 12 made possible through an unrestricted educational grant from Genentech to the Boomer Esiason Foundation.

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