Hope to have more than 100 walkers on their team
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- For a parent, the worst thing a child can face is a severe illness.
Cystic fibrosis is a disease commonly associated with young children and teens.
Experts said more than 30,000 people in the United States have cystic fibrosis.
The inherited chronic disease affects the lungs and digestive system.
A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick mucus that can clog the lungs and lead to infections.
It also can obstruct the pancreas and stop natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.
Despite the advances in medicine used to treat cystic fibrosis, a lot remains unknown. For that reason the Kastl family decided they wanted to make a difference in the fight for a cure.
"He was born on June 16, 2008, and he was diagnosed five weeks later," Dane Kastl said.
For Dane and Brenda Kastl, the last 10 months have been difficult. The couple's youngest son Cayson has cystic fibrosis.
Since his diagnosis, Cayson has been on a number of treatments to help him gain weight.
"He is on enzymes before every bottle, and he has added salt to his diet," Dane Kastl said.
Cayson also has to eat more calories than other children his age and he uses a machine designed to clear his lungs of mucus. His parents said so far he has responded well to his treatments.
"There is just so much to it, and it is very situational. We just live day by day right now until something else comes up, and then we deal with it," Brenda Kastl said.
Touched by their son's illness, Dane and Brenda decided they wanted to do something for Cayson. So they signed up for the Great Strides Walk, hosted by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
"Since the day we found out he has cystic fibrosis we have been looking at ways that we can help with research, and the biggest fundraiser is the Great Strides Walk," Dane Kastl said.
The Kastls said they have been signing up walkers since July of last year. Dane, a teacher at Wasson High, recently shared his son's story with his school.
They now have a large group of teachers and students behind them including a large portion of the sophomore class.
"The sophomore AVID class, because every year we have to do a service learning project, and so this year we decided to help him," sophomore Mitch Baldwin said.
Dane and Brenda said they are thankful for the support and added they hope to have more than 100 walkers on that special day.
"We just want to do everything we can to raise awareness for this disease and bring money in for research," Dane Kastl said.
To learn more about the Great Strides Walk, or to sign up to walk with team Kastl click here.
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