Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think and twice as beautiful as you’ve ever imagined. – Dr. Seuss

For more than 30 years, I was actively involved in the mission to reduce and eliminate birth defects and premature birth.

Firsthand, I was aware of the impact they have on the lives of the people affected, both individuals and families.

When I was no longer a crusader for the cause, and furloughed, something inside of me went missing. Not sure what, but there was something missing. I needed a mission, and I didn't have one anymore.

I found one that took an unexpected turn with inspiration provided by two people, and here is that story.

I had run the Falmouth Road Race seven times and raised money for the mission I was committed to.

But when I decided to run in the event for the eighth time, but I knew I needed a non-profit to run for to make the grueling event complete.

Sure, I could have entered the lottery and won a bib number, but that didn't seem like me. So, I looked for another good cause I could hook my sneakers to.

Years before, I had met Bob Coughlin, then President and CEO of the MassBio. His son, Bobby, had Cystic Fibrosis, and Bob had a job that could contribute to finding a cure and mitigating the impact, but he also had a passion for his mission that made my passion for my mission look feeble.

He championed CF, he spoke about CF, he raised lots of money for CF, and he became a hero for Cystic Fibrosis.

Pictured here with his sons Paul on the left and Bobby on the right, he still is a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis. Visit https://events.cff.org/NantucketSlam

A few years ago, a new treatment was approved, Trikafta, likely with dollars he raised, that changed his son's life and gave him immeasurable hope for the future. That's what happens when mission and passion combine.

Even though I am not the kind of guy who has a lot 'heroes', Bob Coughlin was on my short list. If you know him, you know what I mean, and if you don't know him, look him up. He has true grit, and the mission really matters to him.

So, since my 30-year mission had ended, and since I was looking to have a mission that mattered, I reached out to the CF Foundation to see if I could run for them.

In 2022 they accepted me on their team, and I got to run for the first time with a new mission and purpose.

And then another hero showed up.

My contact in North Carolina, at the Center for Leadership Studies, (famous as the home of Situational Leadership®), Laura Holt, learned I was running for CF and told me her adopted son was impacted and that he was a real trooper.

I had a face and a name to go with the mission of running to raise donations. That was more than enough for me to run for him.

With his photo on my shirt, for the past two years I have withstood the hills and the heat, and the 2 mile walk after the race back to my car.

Then on Monday this week, I flew to North Carolina for a business meeting, and the night before the meeting, I had the chance to meet Elijiah in person for the first time, and I can confirm he is a real trooper.

Davis and Laura with their three boys treated me to dinner and pinball. (Blake, Elijiah, and Cade, left to right).

The same medicine that helped Bob's son, Trikafta, also is helping Elijiah, and countless other people who have Cystic Fibrosis. When you speak with someone who has seen the impact of this treatment, they are almost in shock (or awe) at the change in health and outlook, a change that would not be possible without the research dollars that thousands of people contributed to the mission.

With a life of personal dedication to missions, and the inspiration of Bob Coughlin, plus putting a face on the mission with Elijiah and his parents, who also have true grit and a passion for the mission, I am ready to run on August 18th.

I am ready for the challenge as a 73-year-old runner to take those seven humid miles one step at a time to the finish line. Because that's what kids and families do when impacted by significant challenges: they take it one step at a time to the finish line.

The least that a lucky guy like me can do, is dedicate my effort to people like them. People with true grit, who know the mission matters. Wish me luck.

Ed Doherty's Falmouth Road Race Web Page

From the cff.org website.

About Cystic Fibrosis | Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (cff.org)

"What Is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis is a progressive, genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. There are close to 40,000 children and adults living with cystic fibrosis in the United States (and an estimated 105,000 people have been diagnosed with CF across 94 countries).

In people with CF, mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene cause the CFTR protein to become dysfunctional. When the protein is not working correctly, the mucus in various organs becomes thick and sticky.

In the lungs, the mucus clogs the airways and traps germs, like bacteria, leading to infections, inflammation, respiratory failure, and other complications. In the pancreas, the buildup of mucus prevents the release of digestive enzymes that help the body absorb food and key nutrients, resulting in malnutrition and poor growth. In the liver, the thick mucus can block the bile duct, causing liver disease. In men, CF can affect their ability to have children.

According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry, in the United States:

• Approximately 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed each year.
• More than 75 percent of people with CF are diagnosed by age 2.
• More than half of the CF population is age 18 or older.

The Outlook

Tremendous advancements in specialized CF care have added years and improve the quality of the lives of people with cystic fibrosis. During the 1950s, a child with CF rarely lived long enough to attend elementary school. Today, many people with CF achieving their dreams of attending college, pursuing careers, getting married, and having kids.

Although there has been significant progress in treating this disease, there is still no cure and too many lives are cut far too short.

Support From the CF Foundation

The CF Foundation supports people with CF by:

• Accrediting more than 130 care centers. These centers are staffed by dedicated health care professionals who provide expert CF care and specialized disease management.
• Supporting research to discover and develop new CF treatments and maintaining a pipeline of potential therapies that target the disease from every angle.
• Focusing on developing lifesaving new therapies for larger numbers of people with CF — including those with rare and nonsense mutations — and pursuing daring, new opportunities to one day develop a lifelong cure.

Research

When a group of parents started the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in 1955, there were no treatments for cystic fibrosis. These parents set their sights high, to:

• Advance understanding of this little-known disease
• Create new treatments and specialized care for their children
• Find a cure

In the following years, the fundraising and commitment of the CF community has enabled the Foundation to support fundamental research in the laboratory that has led to groundbreaking discoveries, including identifying the gene and protein responsible for cystic fibrosis.

The Foundation's steadfast commitment to advancing CF research has helped enable more than a dozen new treatments for the disease. "