Two years ago, my daughter, Samantha, graduated from university. She went on to start her first full-time job and go flat hunting with her best friend. These milestones, bittersweet for most parents, have felt monumental to me. As Sammie steps into her future, our family stands on the precipice of a life we didn’t dare contemplate before now. Because, until recently, I still believed I would outlive her.
My daughter was almost two when we learned she had cystic fibrosis (CF), a progressive genetic disease that affects breathing, digestion, and other functions while slowly destroying the lungs. She had been dropping weight for months, her once plump arms reduced to sticks, her belly distended. A sweat test detected CF, which a blood test confirmed.
“The good news is the life expectancy for someone with cystic
