Jennifer Chamberlain is a wife and the mother of two. Her youngest child was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis while in the NICU. Jennifer has always been passionate about writing, majoring in English in college and teaching a creative writing workshop to middle school students upon graduation. She went on to receive her law degree and is currently a practicing attorney. A Southern California native, you can find her at the beach, planning her next trip, or teaching Pilates in her free time.
“I hate my treatments. I don’t want to have cystic fibrosis anymore.” That statement came during a recent night with my daughter, Claire, who has the disease. I was trying to persuade her…
Read more
The thought of having a critically ill child never crossed my mind until it actually happened. I’d hear or see stories about sick children fighting for their lives on television commercials and social media,…
“Is your child OK?” These perfectly well-meaning words from a stranger cut deep for me. Claire had just finished having a coughing fit in public on a recent road trip when a woman approached…
I am not an athlete by any means. But I recently signed up to participate in a hiking fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Normally, I participate in a yearly walking fundraiser, but…
I never thought a diagnosis could bring me comfort after our daughter, Claire, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) at 3 weeks old, which shattered me. But that is exactly what happened…
The release of the movie “Five Feet Apart” was being publicized during my pregnancy with our second child, Claire, who we’d just learned would potentially inherit cystic fibrosis (CF). I’d never heard…
By the time I was 25, I had studied abroad three times and traveled Australia alone for eight weeks. I always had wanderlust and a level of independence that allowed for it. When our…
Before cystic fibrosis (CF) entered our lives, my social circle consisted mainly of my elementary and high school friends. I was the last one of our group to have children and the first…
“It’s a great time to be born with cystic fibrosis.” I remember hearing this sentence from the head nurse during the first clinic of our daughter, Claire. At the time, it felt like…
When my daughter, Claire, was in the neonatal intensive care unit, I was lead counsel on a case that had made its way to federal court. I prepared for the case at Claire’s bedside…
Recently, an expectant father reached out to me on social media after receiving a prenatal cystic fibrosis (CF) diagnosis. He told me that he was so grateful to our family for sharing our…
The ski instructor looked at me puzzled and took another look at our daughter. “What does she have again? She looks fine.” This is a common response when I first tell people Claire has…
The day my husband and I recited our vows at our wedding, I pictured our perfect future together, just as I had many times before: two kids, ideally a boy and a girl, and…
Visit the Cystic Fibrosis News Today forums to connect with others in the CF community.
Get regular updates to your inbox.
