Posted by Dave Dykema - email
ELMORE, OH (WTOL) - A local family has two children with Cystic Fibrosis. Woodville is hosting a fundraiser this weekend and you're invited.
Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that gives its victims, on average, only a life expectancy into their 30's.
Kevin and Amy Slates are both disease free. But they are carriers of the gene that causes CF. It's pretty rare to have one child, much less two children with the disease, and that's really been the motivating factor for the Slates family. They're having fundraisers so that other families don't have to go through the same thing.
Carson Slates, 2, is an active kid. But he was born 9 weeks prematurely, with a perforated bowl and Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that attacks the lungs and digestive system.
"It was very, very rough," Amy Slates said. "Without the support of family members and friends, I don't know how we would have gotten through it."
In amongst the playing, Carson gets breathing treatments every day and chest physio therapy to break down the build up of mucus.
Kevin and Amy had always wanted a big family, so with no family history and a 25 percent chance that more children would get it, they decided to get pregnant again.
"We talked about it and neither of us thought she [Kennedy] would have CF," said Kevin.
"25 percent chance. Why can't we be in that 75 percent?" said Amy.
Unfortunately, bad luck again, despite little Kennedy being born at full term and a healthy weight, she too has CF.
But instead of feeling sorry for themselves, the Slates have made it their mission to help find a cure.
"You read about someone dying from CF at 13, or 19," said Kevin, "and that's when it really hits home."
"There's so much research going on, so much in the pipeline that we want to raise more and more money so that those drugs can get through," said Amy.
The spaghetti dinner is this Sunday, February 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. At the United Methodist Fellowship Hall in Woodville.
No tickets are needed and they'll be taking donations for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
