Team Jonah's goal for 2012 is $25,000

        When you look at Jonah, you see a boy with sparkling eyes, soft brown hair, and a gentle smile. If you observed him for a while, you would see a boy who giggles with his twin brother as they build a castle out of Legos. You would see a boy who will stack blocks in a tower for his sister to knock over time and time again because he knows it makes her happy. You would see a boy who snuggles under his Mama's arm as she reads to him. You would see a boy who squeals with delight as he wrestles with his Daddy. You would see a boy who displays a tenderness, concern, and sensitivity far beyond what you might expect from a six year old. What you wouldn't see, is the war raging inside his body. You wouldn't see the thick, sticky mucus trying to clog his airways and trap germs. You wouldn't see the spots of irreversible scar tissue already building up in his lungs. You wouldn't see his inflamed and irritated sinuses. You wouldn't see the struggle his body goes through as it attempts to digest food properly. You wouldn't see the sensitivity to germs, the colds that can last weeks, the frequent tummy aches, or the struggle to gain weight. You wouldn't look at Jonah and be able to see the devastating genetic disease that we have battled since he was born. But even though you can't see it, Cystic Fibrosis is there, a monster of a disease that we battle with all our might.
        This is a battle that is emotionally exhausting for us as his parents. A battle that has led to heavy hearts and moments of despair. A battle that is expensive, time consuming, and unrelenting. A battle that requires Jonah to sit for 30 minutes at least twice a day wearing a tight compression vest and inhaling numerous medications. A battle that includes sinus sprays, prescription vitamins, acid blockers, high calorie supplemental drinks, digestive aids, and about 35 enzyme capsules a day to help him properly digest his food. A battle that requires x-rays, ct-scans, blood draws, throat cultures, hospital procedures, and poking and prodding by doctors. A battle that must be fought every single day...on his birthday, on vacation, and on days none of us feel like fighting it. A battle that even when tirelessly fought still leaves him with a median life expectancy of only 37 years old.
        CF currently has no cure and since it only affects 30,000 people in the United States, there is no government support for finding a cure. Yet, for over sixty years, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has worked tirelessly to fund life saving research. In recent years, some incredible progress has been made. Drugs and therapies have been developed to fight the effects of the disease and improve treatments and daily life for CF patients. There are even drugs in clinical trials showing promise to reverse the basic defect in certain types of CF gene mutations. The hope is these drugs will stop CF's effects on his body and eliminate, or at least drastically reduce, the current regiment of treatments and medications.
        When the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was founded in 1955, few children with CF lived long enough to attend elementary school. Thanks to the research and care the foundation supports, the median age of survival is now in the thirties. This progress is great, but what we need is a cure. Every year the CF Foundation sponsors Great Strides walks throughout the country, bringing people together to raise money and awareness of CF. The success of the walks is crucial to the foundation's ability to continue life-saving research and support CF care centers. Since 2006, Team Jonah has grown to over 100 walkers and has raised a total of $155,200 for the CF Foundation! On Saturday, June 9th, our team will be participating in the Long Beach Great Strides walk at Heartwell Park. We hope to raise an additional $25,000 this year.
        Please help us meet our goal and help find a cure for our precious son and the thousands of others who battle CF. Visit our team website at TeamJonah.com to read more, watch our video, and get updates on our team's fundraising. To make a secure online donation, visit TeamJonah.com and click on "Donate Now." Or you can write a check payable to "Cystic Fibrosis Foundation" and mail it to "Team Jonah P.O. Box 4326 Lakewood, CA 90711." We greatly appreciate any amount you can donate. All contributions are tax deductible and will be used to continue the CF Foundation's vital research and care programs. We welcome anyone to join our team and walk with us on June 9th. To register, visit TeamJonah.com and click on "Join Our Team." We are so thankful for the many people who support us and are helping us work to change the meaning of the letters CF to Cure Found!

Sincerely,
Rob, Marikka, Jonah, Javan and Ansley Ostermann
Email Us
P.O. Box 4326
Lakewood, CA 90711