Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. The hallmark feature of CF is the accumulation of thick mucus in different organs. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. Other signs and symptoms may include sinus infections, poor growth, fatty stool, clubbing of the fingers and toes, and infertility in most males. Different people may have different degrees of symptoms.
Bronchiectasis is a disease in which there is permanent enlargement of parts of the airways of the lung. Symptoms typically include a chronic cough with mucus production. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing up blood, and chest pain. Wheezing and nail clubbing may also occur. Those with the disease often get lung infections.
Lung transplantation, or pulmonary transplantation, is a surgical procedure in which one or both lungs are replaced by lungs from a donor. Donor lungs can be retrieved from a living or deceased donor. A living donor can only donate one lung lobe. With some lung diseases, a recipient may only need to receive a single lung. With other lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis, it is imperative that a recipient receive two lungs. While lung transplants carry certain associated risks, they can also extend life expectancy and enhance the quality of life for those with end stage pulmonary disease.
Mackenzie Rosman is an American actress. She is known for her television role as Ruthie Camden on The WB's long-running drama series 7th Heaven.
Alice Katherine Martineau was an English pop singer and songwriter.
Laura Elizabeth Rothenberg was an American author. She wrote a memoir describing her life with cystic fibrosis called Breathing for a Living.
Frankie Jo Abernathy was an American purse designer and reality television personality, known for her time as a cast member on MTV's The Real World: San Diego which was filmed in late 2003 and aired from January to June 2004. Hailing from Kansas City, Abernathy was the elder daughter of Abbie Hunter and Joe Abernathy. She had a younger sister named Mamie, and a stepfather, Perry Hunter. She attended Blue Springs High School in Blue Springs, Missouri.
Orla Tinsley is an Irish journalist, campaigner and multimedia artist.
Eva Markvoort was a woman from New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada who died from cystic fibrosis at the age of 25. She blogged about her life, family and experiences, including undergoing a lung transplant and her subsequent transplant rejection, in her blog "65_Redroses," which is also the name of a documentary film about her, 65 Redroses.
Excision is a 2012 American psychological horror film written and directed by Richard Bates, Jr., and starring AnnaLynne McCord, Traci Lords, Ariel Winter, Roger Bart, Jeremy Sumpter, Malcolm McDowell, Matthew Gray Gubler, Marlee Matlin, Ray Wise, and John Waters. The film is a feature-length adaptation of the 2008 short film of the same name. Excision premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Excision played in the category of Park City at Midnight.
Alex Pangman is a Canadian jazz singer and is a specialist in songs from the Great American Songbook.
The Sarah Murnaghan lung transplant controversy began in late May 2013, when the parents of a ten-year-old Philadelphia area girl with cystic fibrosis, Sarah Murnaghan, launched a campaign to change the under-12 policy of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which they asserted was age discrimination. Her plight received considerable media attention, particularly because Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, refused to intervene to grant an exception to the rule.
Ann Harrison was the recipient of the world's first successful human double lung transplant. She survived for almost fifteen years after the surgery and died of unrelated causes.
Emily's Entourage is a nonprofit organization that raises money and awareness to help find a cure for rare ("nonsense") mutations of cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disorder that generally affects a person's lungs and digestive system. The foundation has raised over $1 million, largely from viral fundraising through universities and video campaigns. The organization also participates in exploratory research initiatives aimed at understanding and advancing towards a cure.
Nimisha Mukerji is a Canadian film and television director. She has directed episodes of Mech-X4 and Gabby Duran & the Unsittables.
Claire Lucia Wineland was an American activist, author, speaker and social media personality. Through her non-profit organization, Claire's Place Foundation, she provided support to children and families affected by cystic fibrosis (CF). She died from a blood clot one week after receiving a double lung transplant at the age of 21.
Five Feet Apart is a 2019 American romantic drama film directed by Justin Baldoni and written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis. The film was inspired by Claire Wineland, who suffered from cystic fibrosis. Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse play two young patients with cystic fibrosis who try to have a relationship despite being forced to stay six feet apart from each other. The film was released in the United States on March 15, 2019 by CBS Films via Lionsgate. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $92 million worldwide.
Mallory Beatrice Smith was an author and cystic fibrosis advocate.
