This is Home: Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis game returns after two-year hiatus

ST.MARYS, W.Va. (WTAP) - After a two-year hiatus the Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis football game is making its return Friday night.

Cystic fibrosis is one of the most common genetic diseases in North America. Cystic fibrosis is a progressive genetic disease that affects the lungs and other body systems, which there is currently no cure for.

While there is no cure, life expectancy has steadily improved with the median survival exceeding 45 years in the United States depending on when a person was born.

Barry Cheuvront was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was 15-years old and has had to deal with the struggles of it for many years now.

Cheuvront is a board member of the Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis and he shared why he believes it is important to raise awareness about the disease.

“Really it is not a disease like cancer or something like that. It is not our there in the public as much as other diseases and you ask most people off the streets and they have no clue what cystic fibrosis is,” Cheuvront said.

People with cystic fibrosis have abnormally thick mucus which blocks the airways and leads to repeated infections and damaging inflammation in the lungs.

Jaiden George, a six-year old, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was two weeks old. Her and her parents spoke about what she does in her everyday life to fight cystic fibrosis.

“She does a whole lot of medicine, breathing treatments, airway clearance treatments. What is your airway clearance treatment? What do you put on? I put on a vest. What does your vest do? The vest takes up all the mucus and breaks it from my body so I don’t have as many accidents... And then you do your nebulizer so she wears a mask in the morning and then it produces stuff that goes in my mouth and my nose. And that helps you to? And that helps me to breath better,” The Georges said.

The Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis is a foundation that helps raise money and awareness for cystic fibrosis.

A football and basketball game are usually played every year to help raise awareness for the disease with teams representing the best players across the states of Ohio and West Virginia.

However, the game has been cancelled the past two years due to the pandemic.

Cheuvron spoke about the excitement of the games returning this year.

“Everyone was just itching to get back at it. I know Jodi he worked at it for the last two years and of course being shutdown that just killed his plans and all. But he worked so hard at it. And the board we were upset we couldn’t have events but it is great to be back out there in the public,” Cheuvront said.

The football game will begin at 7:10 tonight at Bill Hanlin Stadium at St. Marys High School. Tickets are $5 with all the proceeds going to cystic fibrosis.

Jaiden and her mother, Alley shared what they hoped people who attend the game will get out of it.

“I hope that they take away basically just what cystic fibrosis is and how much it means to us that any kind of support like this helps and it helps everyone with CF. Right? I am super grateful because my new medicine is the closet cure they can find right now,” Jaiden and Alley George said.

Jaiden will be doing the coin toss at the game Friday evening. She shared her excitement about being apart of that special moment.

“Yes! I am excited to flip the coin,” Jaiden said.

If you are looking to tune into the game, it will be televised on ME/MY TV at 7:10 p.m. Friday night.

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