Qayz is a 6 year old boy who is diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Qayz, like other kids with CF, takes up to 10-20 pills a day, does various different physio treatments and this year, he even participated in clinical trial for a new drug treatment that required him to give 8-10 vials of his blood every 6 weeks.
This year, Qayz has teamed up with his friends at Siemens Canada, National Sponsor for the Great Strides Walk and they are going to match each dollar he raises with another dollar. The dollars raised go towards research for not only CF but, to help other related conditions such as asthma, pancreatic issues, diabetes, lung, sinus and other respiratory issues including the common cold. The good news is that there is actually a need for research towards adult related diseases not just pediatric ones now as more and more of those with CF are now living to see adulthood. Twenty years ago, most kids with CF didn’t live to see grade 1, Qayz enters grade 2 next year!
Know that your support has and will continue to make a difference in the CF and general medical research world. Kids and now adults with CF are living more and more normal lives with incredible advances in technology and drug treatments. Qayz and others have the best treatment available and it will only continue to get better. Every year the median age of survival is expected to increase (currently it’s 37) so hopefully Qayz will be able to play not only with his own kids but also with his grandchildren, with a quality of life that we’d expect all of us to have.
Please visit Qayz’s page at Great Strides for further information about the CF Walk and to make donations online.
Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – About Cystic Fibrosis disease
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