Cystic fibrosis is the most common, fatal genetic disease affecting young Canadians.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multi-organ disease affecting primarily the lungs and the digestive system. In the lungs, CF causes severe breathing problems. A build-up of thick mucus makes it difficult to clear bacteria and leads to cycles of infection and inflammation, which damage the delicate lung tissues. They must follow a demanding daily routine of physical therapy to keep the lungs free of congestion and infection.

In the digestive tract, CF makes it extremely difficult to digest and absorb adequate nutrients from food. Thick mucus blocks the ducts of the pancreas, preventing enzymes from reaching the intestines to digest food. Therefore, persons with CF must consume a large number of artificial enzymes (on average 20 pills a day) with every meal and snack, to help them absorb adequate nutrition from their food.

How many Canadians have cystic fibrosis?
It is estimated that one in every 3,600 children born in Canada has CF.
At the present time, approximately 3,500 children, adolescents, and adults with cystic fibrosis attend specialized CF clinics.