Turning Cystic Fibrosis into "Cure Found," One Mile at a Time

When my friend Colleen Caul announced she was running from St. Louis to New York to raise money and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis—what she calls the "Run for Roses"—I wasn't surprised, and I didn't need ask why (although I did ask if my support required me to run, too...). Colleen always does things in big ways and with equal enthusiasm. She already had several marathons under her belt, all completed with the same goal; finding a cure for CF. Colleen's sixteen year old sister, Katie, was diagnosed with CF as a toddler.  Several years ago, their Uncle, an avid runner, started running with Katie and soon the entire family joined in. But it wasn't just for the quality time together, it was improving Katie's lung function and overall health. Today, Katie is a member of the Cross Country team at Nerinx Hall (Go Markers!!). And yes, she can outrun everyone in her family.

Cystic Fibrosis doesn't receive much attention. But it should. It's a life threatening genetic disease mainly affecting the lungs and digestive tract, and most new cases are diagnosed under the age of two. And there is no cure. Yet. Advances in treatments have provided a better quality of life and nearly doubled the life expectancy for those with CF (it's still between 30 and 40 years of age), but to a sister or family of a CF patient, that's not enough.

Colleen's efforts recently gained the attention of The Physician Ambassadors of the St. Anthony's Medical Center Charitable Foundation. The Physician Ambassadors provide grants to local organizations working to promote overall health and service to the local community. In addition to sponsoring Run for Roses, St. Anthony's now has the "Run for Roses" Garden dedicated to the Run and to all families living with Cystic Fibrosis.

So how does the seemingly painful task of running the equivalence of 38 marathons in two months (1000 miles in 65 days) get such a beautiful name? Many kids are so young when they are diagnosed, they simply cannot say Cystic Fibrosis, but when they try, it sounds more like "65 Roses." And that's how Run for Roses became a journey of 65 days. 

The blessing and dedication of the St. Anthony's and Run for Roses Garden on Wednesday was a pre-kickoff celebration. Colleen begins her journey at 10 a.m. on July 21st with a grand rally and sendoff from Kiener Plaza downtown.  For more information and to follow Colleen along her run, visit www.runforroses.com.