A fight with a life of its own: Laps for CF
When Emily Schreiber dove into a pool in 2003, the 9 year old completely submerged herself not only in chilly water but also in the fight against cystic fibrosis. The Mountain Brook native’s nonprofit organization has raised nearly $2.5 million in the last decade.
Schreiber, who graduated Mountain Brook High School in 2011 and is now a junior at Furman University, was diagnosed with CF six weeks before she took those laps around the pool in 2003. She has far exceeded her initial goal of raising $3,000, helping raise millions for CF treatment and research.
“I had no idea what would happen with Laps for Cystic Fibrosis,” Schreiber said. “It completely took a life of its own through the incredibly generous support of everyone in Birmingham.”
Donors pledged money for each lap Schreiber swam in that first swim-a-thon event, prompting Schreiber to name the organization Laps for CF. As 2013 marks Laps for CF’s 10-year anniversary, Schreiber isn’t planning on slowing down anytime soon.
“Laps for CF has an exciting future, and we don’t see any end of our mission as long as families are being affected by this chronic disease,” Schreiber said.
Cystic fibrosis is a chronic genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 people in the United States and about 400 people in the state of Alabama. A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce thick, sticky mucus. This mucus can clog the lungs, leading to life-threatening lung infections, and obstruct the pancreas, stopping natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.
In the 1950s most children with CF didn’t live to attend elementary school. Today, with advances in treatment and research, life expectancy is around age 37.
When Schreiber was diagnosed with CF as a third grader at Mountain Brook Elementary School, she met those troubling statistics with determination and resolve, putting together the first Laps for CF event only six weeks after her diagnosis. Now, every April, Schreiber swims 100 laps in a row, sponsored by over 500 individuals and businesses that give donations.
The success of the swimming event has spurred several other annual events, such as golf tournaments and wine-tasting competitions. She has been featured in Sports Illustrated and the Today Show, and she has been a part of fundraising events with the Auburn University and The University of Alabama swim teams. Laps for CF has even expanded internationally, with a program starting in Chile to help CF patients who have a life expectancy of 14.
“When I was diagnosed with CF at 9, I don’t think I really realized what living with a chronic disease would mean,” Schreiber said. “But having the Laps for CF Foundation allows me to maintain a positive attitude and feel as if I am not just sitting around waiting on something to change.
“It can be hard living with CF if you get wrapped up in the numbers or life expectancy of it, and that is something that has gotten harder as I have gotten older. But that being said, because of Laps for CF I have seen the progress made within the CF community first-hand.”
These days, Schreiber is enjoying college at Furman in Greenville, S.C., and has taken on a less active role in Laps for CF since she graduated high school. Of course, that doesn’t mean she’s not doing anything. She has been intentionally working with other high-functioning nonprofits to learn ways to improve Laps for CF and sustain it for years to come.
The next event for Laps for CF is the fifth annual Sips for CF Wine Tasting Competition on Friday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. on the rooftop of the Kress Building, located downtown at 301 19th St. N.
“Our Junior Board has made Sips an event people look forward to every year. We look to our fifth to be the biggest and best yet,” said Susan Bruchis, executive director of Laps for CF. “This event is such fun and has consistently drawn 200-250 people. This is our opportunity to help raise not just money but also awareness of cystic fibrosis and the mission of Laps for CF. Funds raised at Sips for CF are vital to facilitating ongoing treatment and research right here in Birmingham.”
Schreiber’s fight against cystic fibrosis has taken many successful laps, contributing millions of dollars to research and treatment for CF patients across the globe. As Laps for CF enters its second decade, expect more of the same from one of Mountain Brook’s most determined individuals.
To find out more about Laps for CF or to donate, visit lapsforcf.org.