Breathe Easy, Lauren

When Ella was born three years ago, our family was so thrilled to have this new life join us, and what a joy she has been and continues to be. The joy was overshadowed by grieving in the days to come when we found out that she had cystic fibrosis. When you are hit in the face with something like this, you begin to look for information and hope.

I don't remember how I met Lauren. I know it was a God thing. Lauren was born 29 years ago with CF. She grew up, graduated from college as an environmental scientist, married her dear husband, Brad. I must have found her through cysticfibrosis.com, a website that is an educational site, as well as a support group for the CF family. We e-mailed back and forth after Ella was born and became friends via the internet. She wrote in one of her e-mails that she felt like we were family.

In the past three years of knowing her, she had been in and out of the hospital, battling this horrible disease. Recently she had been listed for a double lung transplant, but she had become too ill and she died this week.

Lauren loved life. She was such an encouragement to the CF world. I have read of so many who felt the same way about her that I did. Many have written that she was one of the first people who wrote and encouraged them as they began their journey with CF. She was a prolific author, writing many articles related to CF.

Her journey with CF has ended. Today she is with her Savior, breathing new air. The words of the song "Finally Home" keep going through my mind today. "Just think of stepping on shore and finding it heaven, of touching a hand, and finding it God's, of breathing new air, and finding it celestial, of waking up in Glory and finding it home.


To meet Lauren, visit here.