Love To Breathe Award 2017

I had the honor of presenting the Love To Breathe Award at the annual Adding Tomorrows meeting. The Love To Breathe Award was established in 2007 making this year the 10th anniversary which was pretty incredible. 

The award is given to:
•someone who is passionate about Cystic Fibrosis
•someone who is out in the community raising awareness and making a difference
•someone who is known in the CF community
•someone who has the ultimate goal to make CF stand for CURE FOUND

This years Love To Breathe Award recipient was Kathleen Richards!! She lives and breathes all these qualifications. To know her is to love her. I had the pleasure of presenting with her at NACFC this last November about mentoring, little did she know she's always been a mentor to me. 

I first met Kathleen when I was 12, she has put up with me for so many years not to mention my teenage years that alone deserves an award. She has taught me all my airway clearance techniques and was the reason I came up with my own technique which I call "Somer Genics" She loves mucus and to this day she still gets so excited when I call the mucus hotline. I'm so honored and lucky to have her as a friend. 

Kathleen thank you for all you did for me and for all you do for my lil CF kiddos. You have taught us all how to breathe deep, BLAST it out, and to always keep on going! Taking this pic with these cardboard heroes seemed fitting since you're a real life hero to so many!! This award was long overdue and so well deserved. Breathe out Love! Xo❤

Love To Breathe Award

Tonight I had the honor to present the Love To Breathe Award® to Sue Meihls, the pediatric CF nurse at Primary Children's Hospital. 

She is very deserving of this award, and is everything this award stands for and more. Sue is passionate about CF, she's out in the community making a difference, she is always raising awareness, and she is loved by so many in the CF community. Sue ultimately wants CF to stand for CURE FOUND!! 

Her tireless efforts give so much hope and comfort to so many families. She goes above and beyond every single day. She's magical really, she can complete tasks and get things done even before anyone knows they are tasks. 

I asked some of her peers, her patients and their families and her friends to describe her in one word these are the words that were used. Tenacious, Perfection, Friend, Compassionate, Empathetic, Reliable, Trust Worthy, Dedicated, Mother Bear, Loving, Hope, Devoted, Comforting, Hard Working, Passionate, INSANELYorganized, Sufficient, Thorough, Dedicated, Tan, Committed and 

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. 

Congratulations Sue, thank you for ALL that you do everyday! 

Breathe out Love! Xo❤️ 

Love To Breathe Award

It was an honor to present the Love To Breathe Award tonight to Jenn Kinsfather, the adult CF nurse at the University of Utah. I couldn't think of a more deserving, caring person. Jenn is everything this award stands for and more. Jenn is passionate about CF, she's out in the community making a difference and raising awareness, she is loved by so many in the CF community. Jenn ultimately wants CF to stand for CURE FOUND!! She always goes above and beyond for each patient and we are very grateful for that. Jenn has a huge heart and cares about each patient as individuals and a lot of patients myself included consider her not just as our nurse but as a wonderful friend. Her love and compassion for all her patients shows each and every day, not to mention her smile brightens every room she enters. We are very lucky!! Congratulations Jenn and thank you for ALL that you do!! 

Breathe out Love! Xo❤️