Registration is open for BreatheCon 2024, Feb. 9-10
Participants will have opportunity to share stories, socialize
The eighth annual BreatheCon, a virtual event hosted by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation that brings together adults with cystic fibrosis (CF), is coming up Feb. 9-10.
BreatheCon 2024 will focus on the individual experience of the CF journey. Participants will have opportunities to share their own stories, learn from each other, and socialize with other adults in the CF community.
Registration for the virtual event is available online.
The event kicks off Friday with affinity group sessions, where people with CF can meet and talk to others with similar experiences. Several groups are offered, including a group for people new to BreatheCon, for those who were diagnosed late, have advanced lung disease, or have received a lung transplant. There will also be opportunities for members of the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities, and for Spanish speakers, to gather. All other events on Friday also will be available in Spanish.
Enjoying community
A welcome video will be featured from Leah Schwanke, the chair of this year’s BreatheCon, after the affinity group sessions. Schwanke is a young adult with CF who lives in Boston. She has a bachelor’s degree in social work, a master’s in higher education, and is certified to teach self-defense to women and girls.
A series of talks will follow, covering topics such as caring for mental health, navigating the workplace, and the challenges of being a parent with CF. The first day will close with concluding remarks from Schwanke, followed by a happy hour so attendees can socialize.
On Saturday, welcome lounges will be set up so attendees of similar ages can socialize. Following that, sessions will be held on medications, specific CF-related health issues like diabetes, being a person of color or a Black person with CF, mindfulness, and body image.
The second day will conclude with a final message from Schwanke, followed by an optional happy hour where participants can connect and socialize.
Participants in the U.S. will be able to receive swag via mail that features a design by Caleigh Haber-Takayama that was chosen as the winner of the annual BreatheCon swag design contest. Haber-Takayama is running a cooking class during a session on Feb 10.
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