In 2007, Megan began her career as a Respiratory Therapist.  Little did she know that fate would intervene shortly after that.  While performing her rounds at the hospital, Megan struck up a conversation with one of her patients about football.  Like her, Ty was a huge Peyton Manning fan.  Ty was in the hospital getting his Cystic Fibrosis tuned up and having already been there for two weeks, he was thankful to have a new friend to talk football with!  Before Ty was discharged from the hospital, he told Megan that once he was discharged, he planned on taking her on a date.  True to his word, the two went on their first date the day after he was discharged.  Like any good love story, they quickly fell in love and were married in 2008.  They completed their family in 2012, when they welcomed twin sons.  

After marrying Ty, Megan began to realize that not many people understood the life of a CF spouse.  She began to seek out other wives, whom she could share life experiences with.  Eventually, she established a group for other CF wives on Facebook.  While that group was a great starting point, ultimately, it wasn’t able to grow into what she initially envisioned for it, and was subsequently taken down because of this.  Still driven by her initial desire to connect with people who understand the ins and out of CF spousedom, Megan took the information and experiences from the initial wives group, along with some input from some CF husbands and from that, Project CF Spouse was born.  She wanted to create a place where CF spouses, old and new, could turn for resources, information or just a sympathetic shoulder from someone who understands.  It is her hope that Project CF Spouse will be a beacon of hope for those navigating the world of Cystic Fibrosis.

Paul and his wife, Patricia, have been together for thirteen years and married for eleven.  During their dating and married life, they have had many ups and downs with regards to cystic fibrosis and all it comes with.  They have been very blessed that Patricia’s health has been good and steady throughout their lives together. In late 2017 Patricia was diagnosed with pancreatic insufficiency and all that comes with that diagnosis.  She has been in and out of the hospital numerous times throughout the past five years. Paul has always felt that the support given to the CF patient is vital to their health and overall wellbeing. They have always made the best out of any hospital stay or situation that has comes their way.

 

Paul has been a Theatre teacher for fourteen years and he and Patricia live in South Jersey. They have one dog and one cat that they enjoy spoiling!  They love hanging out with family and enjoying everything that life has given them. They are pretty much the life of the party and enjoy being around people. They are huge baseball fans! Paul is Mets fan and Patricia’s a Yankees fan so that basically means Paul’s a Yankees fan too. They are pretty much inseparable and truly doing things together.

Joining the Board of Project CF Spouse was important to Paul for many reasons. One of his big priorities is to connect with other CF spouses and partners to be able to provide them with support and resources that are needed.  He recognizes the importance of having a resource for the spouses and partners in the CF community so that they can continue to help support their loved one with CF.

In 2008, Yvette and her husband Jesse met through a mutual friend and unintentionally ended up in a relationship that same night! He was open and honest about his condition and life expectancy, and Yvette was intrigued. She began actively seeking opportunities to learn more about CF. After moving in together, she really got to see life with CF firsthand! Things got serious fast and Yvette found she needed more information for individuals in relationships with CF patients. Specifically, she was looking for resources that focused on and spotlighted these unique relationships, their challenges and maybe even a community that understood all of this. Unfortunately, she didn’t have any luck until she found Project CF Spouse. Nearly nine years after they started dating, they got engaged in 2016. They were married in 2018. Yvette is now a CNA and is working on a bachelor’s degree in Nursing. They both hope to start a family in the near future.

 

Throughout the years, Yvette has never stopped looking for better resources for spouses and partners in the CF community. Upon learning about Project CF Spouse, she immediately became a very active community member prior to joining the Board. Being able to advocate and build resources that support others in the community has always been a priority to her. She knows firsthand what it is like to have such valuable resources specifically for spouses and partners. And, she remembers what it was like to not have those resources. Her role in Project CF Spouse has allowed her the opportunity to use her own experiences to cultivate resources for the many spouses and partners in the CF community.