Posted by Juliette
This blog post is a bit difficult to start because I don't have anything I need to get off my chest so to speak but seen as Sammy always has something to get 'off' his chest then that is entirely the point.
I'm expecting a few new visitors to the blog so if that's you, thanks for visiting. We started this blog just after our youngest son Sammy was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at 7 weeks old. It's our way of keeping family and friends up to date with how Sammy and the rest of us are and also as a record for us to look back at when we are all older. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a life-shortening genetic condition that slowly destroys the lungs and digestive system. CF causes thick sticky mucus to build up in Sammy's body especially the in his lungs. To reduce his risk of chronic infections and inflammation Sammy has a daily routine filled with physiotherapy and medications and he's encouraged to be very active.
So that's a bit about CF but not about Sammy, he is nearly 2 now and is a remarkable boy. He throws himself into things and doesn't seem to be afraid of anything. When we take Joseph to school Sammy loves to run around the playground, he has many friends. He is known by lots of the year 5 and 6 boys, nothing to do with his brother Joseph who is in year 1, the older boys know him as he regularly challenges them, he wants to play with a ball and he doesn't care that the older boys are twice his size. They are nice kids though as most of the time they humour him and let him kick the ball with them. This behaviour is Sammy through and through. He's a tough kid who just wants to join in and have fun. This attitude really helps him with his CF, his (almost constant and for me quite exhausting) activity helps to keeps his lungs clear and his fearlessness means he's not bothered by things like blood tests or chest Xrays. He's given himself a good start, so long long long may it continue.
My main reason for posting now, I'm sure you are well aware of. Mark is running the London Marathon at the end of April and I'm hoping you might give a little to help encourage him around the course. He is raising funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust as they are funding the most astounding research which will have a big impact on Sammy's life and life expectancy. It's hard to put this properly into words as it is of course very emotional for us but this award wining video does it perfectly. Please watch it and give what you can to Mark's fund raising.
'The Breath Before' video http://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/news/bca14
Mark's fundraising page
Thank you so much.
