It is truly remarkable that we celebrate the 10 year Anniversary of www.cysticfibrosis.com this month! As an administrator for M.L. Burke Consulting, Inc. to which www.cysticfibrosis.com belongs, I am reminded of just how much this online community has grown since its inception in 1996. I am Jeanne Barnett's daughter, Sarah Katopodis, and I am the Director of Marketing. Jeanne has been the strong hand that has directed this site for 10 years and she is to be commended for such perseverance and commitment! She presides over the forums and blogs daily, with such passion. I left Wall Street in early 2000 to help pioneer the Internet and develop this remarkable Internet opportunity with Jeanne. With a penchant for sales, I began calling upon pharmaceutical companies to help in our pursuit to build online patient communities. This was extremely difficult, as there were no models. Health care and the Internet were just forming. Big pharma was not interested at that point in time. Discouraged, but not defeated, we kept on moving. The events of 9/11 certainly slowed us down and we were quiet for about 6 months, as was much of the Internet. In this quiet time, we began building the site from the inside. This is when we began working with all of you! So many of YOU have been with us from the beginning, especially you, Risa - I remember all of the excitement you and I generated! We began emailing and phone calling each other with ideas such as the children's section, nutrition, and FAQs. We helped you with Transplantbuddies.com! My, my, my where has the time gone? You are more beautiful than I remember you and you are happily married and I know that you are a testament to the commitment and dedication that these 10 years have been. Most of all, you are 6 years older than when I first "met" you! Congratulations on your transplants and your unsurpassed will and conviction to live and live happily! You are such a model for so many of us!

I am so touched by the CF community at www.cysticfibrosis.com. Do you know that when I am complaining of a tired, sleepless night, or that one of my sons has a cold or that I am stressed out - my mom, Jeanne, directs me to a thread of the Forum, or a blog that one of you has written - so as to say...you think you are tired and stressed out? Look at this community - tireless, hopeful and by the way, they're stressed out. I read on...and on...on. I am humbled and I am quiet - wiping tears and thinking only that I pray for God to bless this site today. Send them a surprise - a cure, or bring them closer to being cured and God bless all the babies being diagnosed today and let the families and caregivers find cysticfbrosis.com and let them be welcomed and comforted in some way. I like to think of this site, and our work as a Great Big Hug to all of you and your families. We are working fervently to bring information and education to you directly from the professionals. I notice that Pari is answering directly at the forums and I have to say that this is certainly uncharted and perhaps the biggest step in the right direction for all of us. Imagine when the blogs and forums are bursting with real time questions and answers from the dozens of pharmas and their product managers and even doctors provided by them to answer us! This is our dream - to bring us all together - BIG TIME! We want to improve health care and we know that www.cysticfibrosis.com should be the model for all.

I just wanted to say Congratulations to all of you, for building and strengthening one of the most beautiful online communities that the World Wide Web has ever known. With over 3,000 registered users, 93,000 threads of information and 10 solid years of dedication and commitment to living passionately, we celebrate our spirit!

Happy 10 Year Anniversary to All Of YOU at www.cysticfibrosis.com!

"Just Breathe"

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Sarah Katopodis
Administrator
CystiFibrosis.com

What a great tribute you have made.. This website is amazing and has transformed a good part of my life. Thank you for being forerunners in the internet world. I really appreciate all your hard work and dedication.

Here is to another 10 years of great communication.. Hopefully by then this will be a whole different website.. A website of ppl who were cured of CF, thanks to God and modern medicine.

Jennifer

Hi Sarah

I am so glad you decided to start blogging. I can feel your enthusiasm and energy through everyone of your words. Thank you for taking me down memory lane. I am so glad that I was a part of your website from the beginning. Cystic Fibrosis.com has become a huge Country on the internet. There are so many people who are so helpful. I learn so much!

Glad to hear you are so into working out. Keep up the Great Work!

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contact Rise': transplantbuddies@gmail.com

Transplant Buddies.com
Cystic Fibrosis- dx at 2yrs. -2nd double lung tx-05 Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida

Thank you Sarah for that great testimony. What you and your parents have done is nothing short of a miracle. This site has given hope where there wasn't hope, answers when there weren't any, companionship where there was loneliness, and faith in the will of the human spirit. I can only imagine what you all have had to endure in the last 10 years--what it must have been like 10 years ago facing CF. What it must have been like to have a transplant back then. What a phenomenol community you all are! I appreciate being a part of it. Thanks for all your hard work and perseverence. Happy Anniversary Cysticfibrosis.com!!

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**terri--grannie to Kaylee, 6 w/cf, and Jaykub, 10 wo/cf