I was nominated for a take a breather gift by my team of doctors. Although I was not previously familiar with the organization, I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity. I chose to to on a beach trip with my entire family, which I had not had the opportunity to do in several years. The charity was amazing at setting the entire trip up and going above and beyond any expectation I had to truly make the trip special. I am so grateful that I was given this opportunity to relax for a week in the midst of some ongoing medical complications I was experiencing. I am very close with my family and the trip will hold great meaning to me as I carry the memories forward. I cannot thank take a breather enough for everything that was done for me!

-Andrew

My name is Michelle and I have four children, three boys and one girl. My boys, ages 11 (twins) and 10 were diagnosed with CF around five weeks old. To say life has been overwhelming, frustrating, and exhausting the last 11 years is an understatement! But with the bad, we have also had good. We have been blessed with kind, empathetic, and loving people to walk along side with us on this journey. People like the Take a Breather Foundation. My son Oliver was able to take a breather and enjoy time at Give Kids the World in Orlando. We are very grateful to Molly and the TAB family for giving us an opportunity to explore Disney and the surrounding parks. Although some days were more tiring than others, Oliver's smile and excitement didn't fade! Thank you again, Take a Breather and to the generous donors for giving Oliver this experience. It's amazing what a few days away with loved ones can do for your soul, especially those who suffer from CF. XO

To Matt & Molly & TakeABreather


I really can't express just how surprised and overwhelmingly thankful I felt (and still feel) upon recieving the package from TakeABreather. When originally asked for my ideal choice of a laptop or tablet - grateful for anything, I figured the decision and selection was best in their hands. Little did I know that you would pick the best possible option and bless me with the Macbook that you sent. Thank you. I promise to put it to good use to truly take a break, take a breather from CF.

From the bottom of my heart, I can't thank you all enough for your generosity and the gift. I hope your foundation and organization conitues to grow so that others, like myself, can be aided with such magnitudes.

Thank you again for everything that you do for others and especially what you've just done to massively improve my quality of life.


With Infinite Appreciation,
Jeremiah

My name is Shelley Dobson-Butts. I am 37 yr. old and I have CF. I am also a mother of a 12 yr. old that has CF as well. I was given a wonderful wish from Take A Breather to travel anywhere in the continental U. S. I chose DisneyLand in California. This trip meant so much to me and my son. During the last few years I have been having difficulties with my health and the hospital was the only vacation I was resorting to. It's been a long journey to get healthy but I finally have hit a positive streak . This trip was the breather I needed to take a break from the everyday life of living with CF. I also had a recent tragedy in my family. A few months ago I lost my husband to mental illness and it took a toll on my son and my life. I debated whether to still go on the trip after this sudden tragedy but I know we both needed this to help began the process of healing along with the stress that comes along with what we were facing. I so much appreciated Molly and the rest of the Take a Breather Family for embracing us during this tough time and giving us a much needed get away. We enjoyed our stay in Disney Land. We seen so many sights, rode on many rides and ate a bunch. The foundation pulled out all the stops for our trip in which I could never thank you guys enough. This trip gave us just a little slice of heaven for a week that we will never forget. Thank you again Take A Breather..

Hello!

I recently received a wish from Take A Breather Foundation and they're by far the easiest, nicest, most understanding foundation I have ever worked with. I wrote the foundation while I was inpatient during a hospital admission during the busiest time of the year, Christmas! I had one Christmas wish which was to get a laptop to make my hospital stays much easier since I'm there so much and this foundation responded so quickly and I received my wish within weeks!!!! Matt with the foundation had such great communication with me and walked me through each step and made it such a great experience for me! they even sent me a couple extra gifts to complete my laptop package! I have never been so thrilled with a foundation, I have also never been granted a gift by any type of foundation so when Matt got back to me about being approved I was so happy, they really did make a Christmas wish come true for me. thank you so much to everyone at take a breather foundation who made this wish come true for me and in such short notice.
Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart!! Continue to fight the good fight, my thoughts and prayers will forever be with every other cf fighter!!

The past 2 years have been particularly hard for myself and also our family. I have faced many set backs and long courses of treatments with little to no improvement. This doesn't just affect me it affects our whole family. This disease is not something I face alone and many times can be even harder on my family than it is on me. This trip was given to us at the perfect moment and gave us a chance to escape all of that. We were given a chance to be a regular family. Our trip was so incredibly wonderful!! It was so much greater than I ever imagined. I just keep reliving the moments over in my head. I never once felt worried about my health the entire time and I never expected to be able to rid myself of that worry. This breather truly was a breather for our family. Although I used a scooter to get around I felt like every other person there just enjoying the moments with their family.
The kids had so many amazing moments. We were able to get the boys in to do the Jedi Training and Nathan led the parade through Hollywood Studios, I dragged the boys with me to meet Tinkerbell and Dillon and Nathan got to catch the biggest Bass of their lives. We met many characters, rode so many great rides and had so much great food! I LOVE Mickey Waffles!! This trip was such an incredible blessing for us. We will never forget these memories and I am so thankful for the time we had together.

Recently my family was given a great opportunity to take a breather from cf for a week in Florida at Disney world. This trip could not have came at a better time after all the ups and downs that the cf roller coaster takes you on we as a family of 5 got a chance for the first time in over 4 years since getting my youngest sons cf diagnosis. We could not have asked for a better week we laughed we cryed we had melt downs from long days at the park but we were all together as a family. I can not thank this organization and everyone who donates to this great organization enough from the start of the trip arriving at the airport to our week at give kids the world meeting new people and sharing stories to the trip back home was a once and a life time experience that was made possible with you so thank you from the whole intire family to be given this “breather” and time to re group and reconnect as a family .

It is a true honor and pleasure being a part of TAB. I have volunteered for other non profits and none seem to have the level of personal touch that TAB seems to have. TAB wish recipients are treated like family. Keep up the good work TAB!

I am a nurse at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, in North Philadelphia.
My first experience with TAB was approximately ten years ago when they fulfilled the wish of one of my patients to “complete her bucket list”
Ashley was 21 years old at the time and couldn’t even walk to the bathroom without the use of oxygen. Her Doctors were urging her to move forward with plans to apply to the lung transplant program at the University of Pennsylvania.
My patient and her family had been struggling since her birth to maintain the best quality of life possible, but time was running out.
Ashley felt that if she could complete her bucket list, that she would find the courage to move forward with her lung transplant.
TAB planned an elaborate trip to the Grand Canyon for Ashley and her family, including a helicopter ride, as her stamina was so compromised from her disease.
When Ashley returned to Philadelphia, she was again hospitalized with severe lung failure and was rushed to HUP from St. Christopher’s Hospital, ready for her lung transplant, with the courage and knowledge that she was well prepared for this next stage of her battle, as her bucket list was complete.
Since that time, TAB has sent nearly every child with CF at St. Christopher’s on the trip of their wish.
They come to the clinic and to the inpatient floor every Christmas with IPads and gift cards for any patient who is hospitalized, or in the clinic during the week before Christmas, and they have never turned down the request of the doctors or social workers who know that they will help with anything a child with CF might need.
They were able to pay for cochlear implants for our 20 year old patient who had lost his hearing from his exposure to the antibiotics needed to treat his CF, and insurance didn’t cover.
I know I can reach out to them, and count on their support for any child in need.

I'm a social worker at the UNC Adult Cystic Fibrosis Clinic. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a progressive lung disease which slowly limits the ability to breathe over time. As a CF Social Worker, I attend to both the financial and emotional needs of our patients. The needs in both of these areas can be overwhelming. CF is a very expensive disease - even if you have health insurance, there are co-pays for multiple medications, clinic appointments, and hospitalizations. CF is also an emotionally exhausting disease - patients have 2-4 hours of treatments EVERY day. They also know (usually from birth) that they have a limited lifespan and struggle with the implications.
Fortunately, we have some allies to help us assist patients who are struggling with the financial and emotional consequences of their disease. Take-A-Breather has been a phenomenal source of relief and strength for our patients. The vacations that they offer allow our patients an otherwise-unavailable chance to take a vacation that gives them moments of joy and allows them to recapture their strength and hope.
I am incredibly grateful that the Take-A-Breather Foundation has expanded to North Carolina and can extend wishes to the adults in our clinic. This is an amazing foundation and I hope that they will be able to continue in their mission with the help of generous donors.
Marianne Buchanan, LCSW
Chapel Hill, NC

Take a Breather is a wonderful organization. They recognize that it’s not easy being an adult with CF and sometimes we need a “breather” as well. As a recent recipient of a wish I am so grateful to TAB and all of their sponsors. My parents and I went to San Francisco. This past year has been a rough year for me and I have had to make some hard decisions recently. So this trip could not have come at a better time. There was so much to see and do, there was no time to worry about anything the whole vacation. I came back feeling lighter and happier than I have in a long time. We all loved every minute, but the definite highlight was going to see the Giants play the Mets at AT&T Park. I also loved seeing the lovely sea lions at Fisherman’s Wharf and the vibrant colors at the Conservatory of Flowers and tasting the best dim sum ever in Chinatown. None of this would have been possible without TAB. So thank you so very much from my whole family!