Mental Health America – a proud member charity of Community
Health Charities and the leading advocacy organization addressing the full
spectrum of mental and substance use conditions and their effects nationwide –
works to inform, advocate and enable access to quality behavioral health
services for all Americans.
Mental Health America continues its tradition of celebrating
May as Mental Health Month, which began in 1949 to raise awareness of mental
health conditions and mental wellness for all.
At 5 1/2 years old, Ethan is really like any other little boy. He thinks playing with friends is the best part of preschool. He knows if dad says "no", to go ask mom. He loves playing video games, playing outside with his friends, playing soccer, watching football games with dad, and going to the park. Ethan also knows he has something called cystic fibrosis. He knows this is why he has to take pills before he eats, why his sinuses are so bad, why he has so many medications and therapies to do, and why he has special doctors.
At 5 1/2 years old, Ethan is really like any other little boy. He thinks playing with friends is the best part of preschool. He knows if dad says "no", to go ask mom. He loves playing video games, playing outside with his friends, playing soccer, watching football games with dad, and going to the park. Ethan also knows he has something called cystic fibrosis. He knows this is why he has to take pills before he eats, why his sinuses are so bad, why he has so many medications and therapies to do, and why he has special doctors. But, it's really all he's ever known. Ethan doesn't yet realize the magnitude of the disease he lives with or of the future that awaits him. He doesn't know about deteriorating lung functions, hospitalizations, transplants, infertility, or life expectancies. He knows he has many medications and therapies that he has to do every day. He knows he must eat certain things. He knows that he can get sick easily and must stay away from certain places and people sometimes. And even at his young age, he knows what it feels like to always be out of breath from just walking up the stairs, or from walking across the room, or from laughing. It is our hope that, with the help of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and their supporters, Ethan will never have to experience the moments that so many before him have lived or are currently living. That we can someday tell him what "could've" happened. It's amazing to see how far cystic fibrosis research has come. Fifty years ago, Ethan would most likely be at the end of his life. I can't even begin to express what that realization does to a parent. Thankfully, with the determination and research of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and its supporters, Ethan's future is about "possibilities". We have a long way to go in the fight against CF, but with your help, those possibilities can become Ethan's reality.
With nationwide programming, NKF provides scientific research, professional/ public education, patient and community services for 26 million Americans with chronic kidney disease and 20 million at risk.
Mental Health America – a proud member charity of Community
Health Charities and the leading advocacy organization addressing the full
spectrum of mental and substance use conditions and their effects nationwide –
works to inform, advocate and enable access to quality behavioral health
services for all Americans.
At 5 1/2 years old, Ethan is really like any other little boy. He thinks playing with friends is the best part of preschool. He knows if dad says "no", to go ask mom. He loves playing video games, playing outside with his friends, playing soccer, watching football games with dad, and going to the park. Ethan also knows he has something called cystic fibrosis. He knows this is why he has to take pills before he eats, why his sinuses are so bad, why he has so many medications and therapies to do, and why he has special doctors.
At 5 1/2 years old, Ethan is really like any other little boy. He thinks playing with friends is the best part of preschool. He knows if dad says "no", to go ask mom. He loves playing video games, playing outside with his friends, playing soccer, watching football games with dad, and going to the park. Ethan also knows he has something called cystic fibrosis. He knows this is why he has to take pills before he eats, why his sinuses are so bad, why he has so many medications and therapies to do, and why he has special doctors. But, it's really all he's ever known. Ethan doesn't yet realize the magnitude of the disease he lives with or of the future that awaits him. He doesn't know about deteriorating lung functions, hospitalizations, transplants, infertility, or life expectancies. He knows he has many medications and therapies that he has to do every day. He knows he must eat certain things. He knows that he can get sick easily and must stay away from certain places and people sometimes. And even at his young age, he knows what it feels like to always be out of breath from just walking up the stairs, or from walking across the room, or from laughing. It is our hope that, with the help of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and their supporters, Ethan will never have to experience the moments that so many before him have lived or are currently living. That we can someday tell him what "could've" happened. It's amazing to see how far cystic fibrosis research has come. Fifty years ago, Ethan would most likely be at the end of his life. I can't even begin to express what that realization does to a parent. Thankfully, with the determination and research of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and its supporters, Ethan's future is about "possibilities". We have a long way to go in the fight against CF, but with your help, those possibilities can become Ethan's reality. 
