The ninth annual “Rock-A-Thon” fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis was held Saturday, September 1, 2012, at Walmart at Fountain Place Mall in Logan. The purpose of the fundraiser was to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to aid in new drug discovery technologies through research. The total amount of this year’s fundraiser was $7,653.

When the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation began in 1955, very few children with Cystic Fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, because of contributions from people and organizations who support Cystic Fibrosis fundraisers, the median age of survival has increased into the upper thirties. Researchers are making a real difference aimed at finding a cure; yet, precious lives of infants, children and young adults continue to be lost from this dreaded disease.

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease for which there is no cure. Approximately, 30,000 infants, children and young adults in the United States have Cystic Fibrosis. It occurs when a baby inherits two copies of the defective Cystic Fibrosis gene — one from each parent. More than 10 million Americans (one in 31) are symptomless carriers of one copy of the defective Cystic Fibrosis gene. It causes the child’s body to produce an abnormally thick, sticky mucus which clogs the airways leading to life-threatening lung infections and impairs the digestive system by obstructing the pancreas preventing enzymes from reaching the intestines to break down and digest food.

Symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis vary and can be confused with frequent episodes of pneumonia or asthma. Major symptoms are salty-tasting skin, persistent coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath, excessive appetite but poor weight gain and greasy, bulky stools. The diagnostic test to detect Cystic Fibrosis is the “sweat test” which measures the amount of salt in a person’s sweat. An abnormally high salt level indicates a positive diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis. Clearing mucus from the lungs is the most important part of the daily treatment regimen which is done in the form of chest therapy by vigorous clapping on the person’s back and chest. Other treatments include inhalation therapies, antibiotics to reduce lung infections and enzymes taken orally with every meal to aid in food digestion.

To learn more about the services and programs available for Cystic Fibrosis, call 1-800-FIGHT CF or visit the Cystic Fibrosis web site at www.cftorz

Contributions are accepted anytime and can be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Anyone wishing to make a donation can send contributions to: Libby Mays, P.O. Box 176, Logan, WV 25601