CF - The Disease that doesn't acknowledge others

 

One thing that this pandemic teaches is that whatever comes up including a pandemic, CF will say these three words: Hold my beer. 

It would then begin to show its might as to who's really at the head of the "food chain". Cystic Fibrosis [CF] will not play second fiddle to anyone, including COVID-19. 

CF is not as widely known as COVID has become, yet it maintains its status as one of the celebrities in the disease world. It's global in reach, it impacts people of various ages, it can significantly impact families and their considerations for just about everything, and it's EXPENSIVE to treat; at least here in the Caribbean where there are no resources allocated to it really. 

CF is in a class of its own. It doesn't compromise on its standards as a disease. It remains virtually unstoppable. It still is a serious illness. It still impacts entire families though it may be just one member who has the actual illness. School/work life is impacted on the part of the sufferer as well as those who interact with them. 

The expenses of caring for someone with CF are staggering. Parents often feel the brunt of the expenses until the student reaches around 18 years old or just beyond. The saga expands to show this student in post-school life can't support themselves given the demands of the workforce. 

Finding work that pays them the required amounts given their limited experiences is impossible; the allocation of unprecedented sick days is slim to none; establishing their own business that supports them immediately is at best stressful due to a variety of factors too numerous for this article, and insurance companies withhold support as they are no longer on their parents' policies but must now obtain their own.

 The limited lifespan of CF sufferers is a cause for concern. Given that COVID-19 negatively impacts those with co-morbidities; can you imagine those who catch it one way or another? The impacts for them intensify and the outlook doesn't look pretty. Their ability to breathe is further impacted negatively. 

• Without medication and medical care, the life of a person suffering from CF can be severely shortened. 
• Medications run around US$6000 monthly 
• Doctor visits are not cheap since no one in Barbados treats it, travel is required to obtain treatment for the sufferer. 
• Our foundation can help once we have the resource, but they too are significantly reduced given the suppressed market within which we are operating. 

We need more volunteers. People who are seriously committed to serve in a variety of areas. The demands of CF never stop. Would you help us today? Visit our presence and identify who you would like to assist and from when. It can be from a standpoint of time and money or a combination of both. 

The money would be things like sponsorships, donations, provision of fundraiser programs and ideas that facilitate the raising of significant sums while still being safe. Two people with CF can't even be in the same building. 

Time, we are looking for volunteers, researchers, planners, support team members, runners, writers, and a whole lot more. Make contact via our website cfbarbados.org as to how you would like to assist. We welcome your input. 

We thank you for your support over the years and look forward to your input going forward. Have an amazing day wherever you are in the world. 

Champions in the fight against CF

When the Turton's first came into contact with Cystic Fibrosis [CF], they were eventually referred to the USA in order to get the medical assistance that was not available here in Barbados nor anywhere within the Caribbean region. Over the years, their family has become well known to their medical team at the Cohen Children's Hospital NY. 

The Turtons with their medical team at Cohen Children's Hospital

A phenomenal group, there willingness extended to visiting Barbados to help build the awareness of the illness. Educating us in Barbados as to what we should look for and where professional help may be sought. They even interacted with the medical fraternity here through lectures at various venues, enabling doctors to be able to identify the traits within patients so that they can be recommended for testing to confirm whether or not they have CF. 

Through our awareness programs, there are a few others who have been able to identify that they were impacted. Also our organization, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Barbados, has become the go to entity for international travellers who wish to visit the island and in their planning want to know what opportunities for care are existent locally should they ever have an episode requiring care. 

The team at Cohen Children's Hospital have been instrumental in putting us in contact with The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation who have been quite instrumental in assisting us locally at The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Barbados  in becoming established to assist those within Barbados and indeed the wider Caribbean in obtaining care for their loved ones. 

To the team of Cohen's Children Hospital, not only The Turton's, but Barbados, thanks you for your care, professionalism , friendships, and accommodation in all that you have done to improve the lives of children from across the globe. Your insights and example have enabled us to become a respected entity within Barbados that offers assistance, not only to children, but to everyone who suffers from the challenges associated with CF. We remain commited to assisting those commited with CF to realize a better standard of living as they cope with the illness medically. Since interacting with you and others who have CF, we have seen the awareness grow. We still remain commited to having a regional medical team develop who can provide the care and reassurance given the example you have set. We say, a heartfelt thank you. 

Funds, Fundraising, and Funding needs

Talk about a demand that's exponential! We've grown well beyond this core group of initial volunteers.

Have you ever wondered why is it that funds are never enough, requiring fundraising to be ongoing, and the funding needs seem to be more than either of the first two can adequately cover?

If you're going at the frenetic pace like we are at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Barbados [Cffb], you seldom have the time to pause and ponder. Currently, our funds don't even cover the basic needs of the foundation, which are to provide adequate funding for those affected with Cystic Fibrosis [CF] to get adequate medical treatment.

To give a bit of background, we have so much gratitude for US Based Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for the assistance they gave us when we first started out. The gave selflessly of their information, support and guidance that we were able to become established quite quickly and as a young charity, become well organized with proper structure.

In our few short years, we were able to accomplish quite a bit to assist those on the island that were seeking care. Whereas our US counterparts are "Adding tomorrows", here in Barbados, we are "Aware to Care"; building awareness within the country and indeed the region with our information about an illness that so few knew about, even though there were others who had it over the years.

In short order, we need funds.

Our fundraising efforts included gala dinners with silent auctions, the walk/run which has now become an annual event. We did awareness programs with the medical fraternity when we invited our US-based supporters to come in and assist with the sharing of the information. Still, we feel there's a shortfall. We feel as if we haven't done enough. Why? It's because this is an illness that is expensive, it mutates, and the learning curve is steep. We need to raise the bar.

Others may have this challenge as well, and we need to make our needs known. Our fundraising needs are great and need to continue with the ever increasing costs of medication and treatments which are not available on our shores of Barbados.

Our funding needs include:

• the need to support the families who are affected by CF to get medical care and medicine for their family members who are ill with CF. 
• the needs to have an established secretariat from where we can function on a permanent basis where the public can better interact with us and vice versa. 
• administration of our organization on a permanent basis since CF does not take a break, neither should the organization. We need admin equipment, including computers, telecommunications, furniture, stationery, and the list can go on. 
• the ability to contribute our share to finding a cure to the international medical research programs. 
• the training of doctors in the special field of pediatric pulmonology so that we can reduce the need to travel overseas to seek medical care. The medication is still an overseas cost, but at least the provision of on-island medical care can eliminate/significantly reduce the foreign exchange pressure the families face financially for not only the person affected by CF, but those who must accompany them. 
• the training of volunteers can be usually met with venue rental fees. Sometimes we can negotiate facilitators to donate their time, but it is not always possible. There are areas where we lack internal competence where we must seek professional help, e.g. audit reviews and other types of programs which enable us to maintain a presence in the public domain.

As usual, volunteers are a must, as there are a number of programs that we would like to implement but are short of manpower. So our topic is one that tells you. our needs expand exponentially; often faster than our ability to meet them.

Complacency is not an option

Cystic Fibrosis [CF] is an illness that presents situations that are dynamic. There is just not a blanket approach that can be taken to the treatment of the illness. The result is that a remedy/cure remains elusive.

To any organization that caters to the challenges of CF one thing is certain, we cannot become complacent. When we do something one year and it becomes successful, we cannot adopt a cookie cutter approach and decide that this particular approach will be taken from now on. We like the illness that we are addressing must evolve, we must do more.

In earlier days, we held the gala fundraiser, it became an event that many looked forward to on an annual basis. It grew in popularity and reputation, but the benefits derived fell. Instead of making money that could be contributed to the cause of aiding those who suffer from CF, the organization itself began to suffer from the associated costs.

So then, we have had to seek alternate ways of raising funds. Is it easy, certainly not by the stretch of our imagination. Daily we recognize the reality of Luke 10:2, where it says, "The harvest truly is great but the labourers are few". We have to heed the second part of that verse which is to ask for others to come help.

Can you contribute? Yes, you can!

There are committees and sub-committees where so much needs to be done to be compliant. We need think tanks where ideas for fundraisers are developed that would keep our supporters engaged. We need to have ongoing fundraising since it is not only our desire to help the sufferers but to raise awareness, contribute to our global effort of finding the ever elusive cure(s). The ever expensive and necessary medication which those affected by CF needs every month.

We also need to race against time, since as we win the "battle" in keeping people with CF alive, we have to develop programs for when they age, since jobs would not be able to pay them at the levels they require to maintain the costs of medication and care that make parents stagger financially and emotionally when they have to provide for those with CF within the family, while still maintaining the other elements of family life. 

We have to cope since family situations change due to the stresses resulting in breakdown of the family via divorce, pending retirement, job displacement, rising costs of living, and fuel costs that make airline travel for medical care even more difficult. The amount of moving parts to be considered when dealing with caring for someone with CF can be overwhelming if not put in perspective with the required and welcome assistance.

How can we address these various scenarios? Only with the grace of God, and the help of volunteers. We need you. Please, register today with us indicating your areas of strength that can help us advance our fight against CF.

We are the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Barbados, and we are Aware to Care!

Gratitude

Have you ever taken the time to count your blessings? You will be amazed at the things that are often taken for granted by others that can mean life for you. At the Cffb we are fortunate for the following:

• To have supportive families and friends being instrumental in assisting in realizing the vision of the Cffb for those affected by Cystic Fibrosis (CF) 
• To live in an era of social media so that we can get our messages out to educate people about who we are, why we do what we are doing, how they can help, when we need to do so, and what are the areas of challenge we face as an organization that prohibits us from doing more for those who are afflicted by the illness. 
• That we are gaining recognition locally by the medical fraternity
• That donors, sponsors, and supporters generally recognize that we are doing everything, within limitations, to function as a bonafide charitable entity
• That we have the interactions and advise of the wider global Cystic Fibrosis bodies that keep us focused on and educated about what we should be considering in our fight against CF
• We are able to embark upon another year with teams of excited and thoughtful supporters who will attend our events and activities to ensure that we realize targets set to assist those who suffer from CF

While we say thanks for all you have done in any way for us up until 2017, we look forward to interacting with you during 2018 as we strive to meet and exceed previous targets. We wish you a happy and wonderfully blessed new year. Thank you for being a part of the teams that serve to win victories over CF. 

Reflections of a charity

Serving in a charity is never easy. It always seems that there is more to be done than they are people to fulfill the various roles and activities. Attracting and mobilizing volunteers is a never-ending, continuous process that one cannot become weary of doing. Activities have to be planned and coordinated with the various public stakeholders with whom a charity interacts. Yet...

...when you do get a moment to pause and think, even for a little while, the questions come.

1. Are we doing enough of the right things to help those for whom the charity was designed to help?
2. What if family situations change, especially when children are involved, what systems are in place to fill the gap? E.g. Divorces, the death/serious injury of a parent, and the list can go on. 
3. Coming closer to home; what are we doing other than trying to raise funds to help those with Cystic Fibrosis? 
1. Meetings have discussed getting doctors certified to assist sufferers locally and reduce at least the travel expenses of having to commute overseas for medical treatment. 
2. So far, we have been unable to contribute to the global effort of finding a cure. 
3. Our capacity for at least doing a local diagnostic is far from being able to determine if someone genuinely has CF, without them having to travel overseas. 
4. We need new fundraising activities as the public grows bored with the current programs. 
5. Research and development are needed so that we can determine what is needed to enable the foundation to obtain a headquarters, permanent staffing that can interact with the public when volunteers are earning their keep to sustain themselves and their families personally, new sources of donors, sponsors, and other supporters. 
6. Sound and dedicated administration practices and procedures implemented and sustained to ensure compliance of the foundation in a manner that's timely. Ensuring that we can capitalize on every available incentive that saves leakage of funds. 
4. Growing the volunteer base so that committees can be well established, and leadership can be changed on occasion to bring in a fresh perspective from others. 

The work of a charity is too important to be trivialized. Are you willing to step up to the plate and function with integrity and interact as a team player? How committed are you to continuous learning and development of networks? 

Stop and think about how you can make a difference via your contributions. Once you're clear on that contact us via www.cfbarbados.org we can use your help. 

The demands of a charity

Charities are established for a variety of reasons, often to help someone or a group that has a specific need that is not served or known about in the mainstream society. Those who function within a charitable environment know one thing, the requirements are endless with lots to do and so few to assist in doing the actual work.

Volunteers are a constant need. Often when you find the right one who has the time, skillset, and the greatest of attitudes, along with the willingness to help; they get hired away by individuals/entities who get to see them in action and realize "this one is a keeper".

What are some of the demands that charities experience? Here are some thoughts:

• Great leadership 
• Good governance 
• Accountability 
• Compliance 
• Administration 
• Volunteers 
• Clear mission supported by aims, goals, and objectives 
• Great media access and usage 
• Donors 
• Sponsors 
• Concessions and incentives
• Continued education programs 
• Local and international recognition 

So as not to make this post unwieldy to read the various demands can be explored more in details should the readers make a request that this is what they want. For those of you already in charities, what are your thoughts?

We the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Barbados - Registered Charity 861 exist to assist those who have the illness Cystic Fibrosis, and We are Aware to Care!

The 2017 walk/run fundraiser

Every year The Cffb raises funds for those who have to deal with the challenges associated with Cystic Fibrosis [CF]. These funds help the patients and their families better cope with the financial challenges, which are quite high, associated with caring for the illness.

Every year, the foundation has to draw on the willingness of various individuals, groups, and organizations who volunteer in one way or another to help sufferers cope.

Even when assisting those who are ill, there need to be some moments of levity that helps to bring people together. Without exception, our Walk/Run 2017 was again helpful in further building bonds of friendships. See pictures from this year right here! You can look for your friends and colleagues while contemplating how big your group will be for 2018.

An Organization of Leadership

When The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Barbados first came on the scene, there was a lot of dedication on the part of those who founded the organization. To the onlookers, it seemed like The Cffb grew fast. It was often commented upon that our growth was faster than organizations who were many times our senior due to our age.

Immediately upon its formation, The Cffb was determined to be a leading organization. Parameters for operating was developed and implemented with a team that sought excellence. The leadership was determined to assist those afflicted with Cystic Fibrosis with the best service possible; since there are no doctors on the island who are qualified in cardiac pulmonology.

In Barbados, hardly anyone knew what the illness comprised of, CF was unfamiliar to Barbadians. The Cffb had an uphill task. So how did we get to where we are?

1. We are willing to serve. 
2. We think ahead, planning towards future situations. 
3. We take initiative, preparing to be uncomfortable to ensure the beneficiaries obtain assistance.
4. We function with a character of humility. 
5. We're constantly developing skills with people.
6. We ensure that those who depend on us are covered. 

Despite being a not for profit entity, it is necessary that we are committed to a code of excellence. We believe it necessary to give of our best in all that we do, especially since people's lives and livelihood depend on it. 

We are the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Barbados, and we are Aware to Care. 

Standards are Key to Success

From its inception, We at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Barbados [The Cffb] decided that we wanted to be different. We wanted to be the organization by which others would be bench-marked. We wanted to rewrite the standard for excellence among charitable organizations in Barbados first and then farther afield.

Cystic Fibrosis is an expensive illness requiring large sums of money for those suffering with it and their families, due to this accountability is a huge requirement for this organizations functionality.

Here's what we've found. The need for standards isn't understood nor appreciated by everyone. Some people want to have the benefits of being associated with the organization without making the necessary contributions. It doesn't happen on its own. When we engage in our activities, it is done for the benefit of all involved, so that all affected by CF can benefit. It is never in isolation and can never show favoritism. Systems that are implemented must therefore be able to be applied across the board.

We as an organization, cannot allow people to use our name to raise funds for the benefit of their isolated cases. We say this because it has been attempted, and if not nipped in the bud this would have been the result. Corporate citizens would have been bombarded by requests for the same condition from the Cffb and individuals seeking aid for their own situations.

Our commitment to training ensures that when we recruit volunteers they are trained and then released to function within the various programs within the foundation. There is constant monitoring as was seen in our recent awards to our high school volunteers.  

Some volunteers were able to advance within their chosen fields of work and they too will be certified on a project basis with consideration to their developed competency.

So far, we have always had successful events as lots of hard work goes into the planning process so that execution is near to flawless, complete with fail safes. This is necessary since even the best laid plans can have unforeseen circumstances. Over time, we have seen that there is a need to consider succession planning more vigorously, since interest and circumstances in the lives of those volunteering takes place.

We need volunteers for research, planning, training, social media, fundraising, and special programs. As more people are diagnosed with CF there is a need for:

• more volunteers, 
• an adaptation of standards as new situations are experienced
• a revised business / strategic plan 
• improved operational procedures 
• fundraising opportunities via grants, donors, sponsors
• territorial expansion as other branches of the organization are required to fulfill the needs within the Caribbean
• increased medical access 

Networking opportunities are paramount. We interact with various organization that can point us in the direction of realizing aid. This aid is used to further empower our volunteers to function so that the ultimate beneficiaries, those affected by CF can benefit. 

No one likes to hear that they have a life threatening illness. There are a variety of emotions that accompany such a pronouncement. When further compounded that it can be misdiagnosed due to similarities with other respiratory illnesses like asthma, it can put families and loved ones into a tail spin of doubt and uncertainty.  

There's one thing that's certain. We are the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Barbados, and we are Aware to Care. 

What did you just say?!?!

The words in this title echo around the world from people who have never met and yet have something in common; they just received bad news from their doctor. In our peculiar instance, it relates to Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a genetic illness that throws the families of those diagnosed into a tail spin. 

Many have never heard about it, and not knowing what to expect are faced with a slew of emotions. There's no prior warning that their family member who was experience respiratory challenges could have CF, they thought it might have been just asthma.

We are Aware to Care! This is the motto of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Barbados (Cffb). We do so via a number of awareness building programs, including fundraisers.

Though we have been around for some time as an organization, we've only truly emerged to the public during the last year when we had our first fundraising walk which was followed up by our gala dinner earlier this year, while interspersed with awareness campaigns in the malls, health fairs, and even the university.

Have we really made a difference? Not in the way that we would like to since we believe that there are a number of people who are unaware of the condition since it is quite close to asthma.

Last year's symposiums was an eye opener for the public and the medical fraternity, where health care providers from the USA who are specialists in providing treatment came and shared their experiences with us in Barbados.

In Barbados, there is no one really certified to provide the quality care needed for this illness. We're hoping to make a difference by enabling those interested to become certified.

CF is quite expensive to care for, especially for local families. The medication is not readily available on island and has to be imported. No two people who have it and are not of the same family should be in close proximity as they can contaminate each other and it can prove fatal to them. Special care is needed in all instances including medical emergencies like hurricanes.

Our volunteer base is growing but there's still a need for more people since there's quite a bit to do. We would welcome your help in any way you can. Please visit our website for more details at www.cfbarbados.org.

Balancing Time, Effort, and Results

It is usually said, if you want something done ask a busy person. This got me thinking about what does a busy person do that the rest of us don't. How does a busy person get to effectively balance time and effort while achieving results?

Externally, we all look the same; at least generally. It isn't race, sex, education, social status, nor any other superficial characteristic. What is key about those who achieve what they put their minds towards seems to stem from the following:

• purpose
• character
• will and strength of resolve
• goals that are well defined 
• objectives that are clear
• respect for others and by others 
• their ability to control time 

How involved are you? What contributions are you making to the existence of someone other than your own?  If a few words can make a difference to you today what would they be?

1. Get involved
2. Make a positive difference 
3. Help someone today
4. Get on purpose
5. Commit to something bigger than you
6. These are just a few

What would be your action phrase? Open opportunities that you didn't know were available.

You have what it takes to be a volunteer. Yes, it requires commitment and dedication, and functioning in a team environment can help make it feel easier so that you're not overwhelmed. You will learn skills. develop good attributes, and just maybe get recognition certificates in the areas of competence that you demonstrate.

Let us know if you're interested, as we try to make our programs for volunteers quite meaningful. Remember - balance your time, put in your efforts, and see the results.

Special thanks to the 100 Voice Project in 2014. Looking forward to your program in 2015. 

When a plan comes together

For weeks there has been planning, organizing, meetings, and a myriad of activities that surrounded the planning of the gala dinner for the Cffb's - Wine, Diamonds and Jazz event which was held recently. From the glowing reports that we have received, we would conclude that everyone had a great time.

As you can imagine, it took the effort of many teams to pull this all together. Our volunteers, supporters, well wishers, parents of children with CF, and donors to mention a few made significant contributions to make this event a reality.

However we want to make mention of those who contributed to make the silent auction actually happen. They know who they are and will be featured on our website shortly. We're also excited about the partnerships we're developing with entities that though they required plenty paperwork for authenticity, we were able to deliver and be accepted for some aid; hopefully on a continual basis.

If you only can imagine it, there were many elements that had to work in synergy to make this event happen. Something went right as patrons want the even to be held next year and for years to come.

The event was developed to accomplish a particular purpose; to help those affected by the devastating Cystic Fibrosis [CF]. Out of this event, we will be able to help three of the families by way of small contributions in their quests for treatment of their loved ones. This is a first for the organization of The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Barbados [The Cffb] and we are feeling a short lived sense of accomplishment as there is still quite some ways to go.

During the awareness building for the gala dinner, we met another local who is an adult and has advised us that they too have the condition CF. We are now providing follow up so that they too can obtain the needed care. There is an urgency as the illness seems to have taken quite a toll on them and their body is showing its effects. So the race for awareness / fundraising is not over; the baton has just been passed for the next leg to continue.

We are thankful for our God-given vision to establish this foundation properly. so that when asked for the requisite compliance information by the various agencies it was forthcoming.

Those who attended the event were key. If they had not done so, it would not have been able to make the difference to those with CF. We thank you. To our sponsors and donors, we extend heartfelt thanks and will continue to do so on our website, which we are rethinking currently to make it more interactive for those who visit; so they can receive current information.

We are now preparing for the Aware to Care Walk scheduled for July 4, 2015. This was our initial major event for the year now in its second year. Why do we keep going? CF is not going to stop until there's a cure. It seems to mutate and we must keep adapting to be victorious.

Standards of a charity - The magnificent seven

For many, when they are affected by something / someone that moves them emotionally; in many cases there begins the need to start a charity. What then happens is that another organization begins, sometimes duplicating the work of another one, facing scarcity and lack at various levels.

If this seems like an odd thing to read, examine it closely and you'll see that based on observation it isn't.

There's a streak that runs through organizations of all types. The people involved often need to feel a sense of belonging. They want to give back and contribute. They want to ease the burdens of others. However, regardless of the organization, there's a need to have standards to ensure that everyone operates in alignment and on a similar platform with clarity, if not the result can be chaos.

What are some of these standards? Let's highlight a few of the more serious ones below:

• Transparency - decisions made and actions taken should always be without prejudice
• Accountability - helps in keeping everyone hones and corruption at bay
• Fairness - assists in ensuring that everyone is treated equally
• Documentation - is necessary for posterity and lends to historical value of decisions taken, meetings held, discussions which took place. Documentation can be done physically / virtually utilizing any of the available storage media which are now quite affordable
• Rules - established the parameters within which everyone operates
• Compliance - provides the controls to ensure the rules are adhered to
• Non-discrimination - goes a step further than fairness ensuring that any and all prejudices are eliminated at the root cause

Though there may be others, these "magnificent seven" capture the essence of all the issues. To be truly helpful, the charity must have a loving, yet discerning nature about it. At the Cffb we are committed to these standards and have them documented so that regardless of the individuals in leadership or among the members / volunteers; the organizations will remain true to its mission.

Why do we see the sense of setting standards within a charity? It's because, We're Aware to Care!

Are they aware of us?

When you're involved in something, it's easy to think that just because you know what your cause that everyone else should know as well. You work hard, putting structure in place all the while trying to ensure that you do the right thing.

In meetings you speak about the vision, mission, objectives, succession, who does what and when. Then before long, you realize that for all that you've done; for all that hard work and the projects that you have put on the plate for future seasons - No one outside the immediate group knows who you are, and to be blunt - neither do they really care.

We were no different. When we mentioned that we're established to help those with Cystic Fibrosis (CF); you should have seen the blank stares. After a pause for an indeterminate amount of time, they would then go....what did you just say?

Just imagine saying to someone that there are people here among us with a rare illness that is quite expensive to treat. They have no point of reference so in their head they go - here's another one. There's going to be always a group of people asking for money for their particular cause. It's that simple. Their cases will be unique in some instances. What we're finding is that as humans, we're diverse with a variety of special health cases. The stories seem to surpass the opportunities for assistance, and in these hard times; budgets are limited.

Guess what? Despite the aforementioned, we can stop. We can't fail the youngsters and their families of those afflicted by Cystic Fibrosis. We're working hard to make the awareness grow, and the truth is, we're under resourced and under capitalized; yet we can't and won't stop.

How are we raising awareness? We will go to where you are!

Take for instance some of the places we have been and are targeting:

• Universities, colleges, public affairs and their respective events
• We will host events - walks and galas that will get us noticed 
• We will use the internet with its opportunities for having websites, using a variety of social media[ including blogs and newsletter
• We will use traditional media in a planned way - newspapers, radio, television, magazines, and the newsletters of other organizations. 

When we think / focus of the opportunities that are available, we can't dwell on the problems.

We are well structures and becoming better organized, so that we can become the bench mark for charitable organizations. Is it easy? No!

One thing is certain, "We're the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Barbados", and though you may not know of us yet. you will cause we're building awareness one person at a time. You'll find that as an organization, We're "Aware to Care"!