YES to Hope. YES to Research. YES to Action.

clicks4acause
Sep 23, 2025
2 min read

This year, I was honored to be selected as one of Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest, an annual campaign of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation that has raised more than $8.3 million since its start — helping to double the life expectancy of those living with CF.

For me, this honor is more than recognition — it’s personal.

In 2010, we lost April after two double lung transplants at UPMC Pittsburgh. She was just 24 years old. Her art lives on through Gray Canvas, where each piece carries her spirit forward and raises awareness for cystic fibrosis.

As a mom, I’ve lived the fear of CF up close. When my son Grayson was born, I worried every day he might inherit a terminal illness. He is a CF carrier, and that means this fight touches his future — and the family he will have one day.

Why This Matters Now

Just five years ago, children with CF rarely lived long enough to attend kindergarten. Today, thanks to research and advocacy led by the Foundation, children are attending school, going to college, getting married, and starting families. But not everyone benefits from existing therapies.

The Foundation is now pioneering genetic therapies, which represent our best hope for a cure — not only for CF but potentially for over 1,000 other genetic diseases.

2025 marks the 30th Anniversary of Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest, and our combined class goal is $650,000. Together, we can continue to fuel this progress.

How You Can Say YES Today

✔ Donate directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation campaign (tax-deductible)

✔ Shop April’s art at Gray Canvas and carry her legacy forward

✔ Take a Rahm Roast coffee break with Coffee for a Cause — every cup fuels advocacy and awareness

👉 Donate Now: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Feature & Donation Link

Together Until It’s Done

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation began with parents desperate to save their children’s lives. Today, those efforts have brought us to the edge of breakthroughs that once seemed impossible.

But our fight isn’t finished.

Every child deserves the chance to dream, grow, and live a full life.

Every family deserves hope.