Within a few minutes of meeting me, there a few things that I think are abundantly clear (in no particular order):
1. I am passionate about cystic fibrosis (CF) awareness.
2. I love my kids–Lily and Liam.
3. Coffee is my life’s fuel.
4. Denver, Colorado is my very favorite place on earth.
5. I think that I am a socially awkward human being.

But those details do not sum up the whole of my life. The first questions that you may have could be, "Anna, what is cystic fibrosis, and why are passionate about raising CF awareness?" And I would say, those are some great questions. Cystic fibrosis is a disease that causes my body to produce excess amounts of thick, sticky mucus. This primarily affects the lungs and digestive system, and many times it can lead to multiple hospital stays.

Some of the good consequences has been in it giving me some really great opportunities. I have been the patient representative for a Quality Improvement Initiative at my CF clinic and helped form a patient advisory board there, as well. For the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, I contributed two articles for their Community Blog. One of my favorite roles, though, is being apart of a few of the planning committees for the community’s BreatheCon and MiniCons. These are virtual events for adults with CF–and now, for their loved ones–to make connections, learn from each other, and know no one is alone in this fight against CF.

I don’t want to dwell on the bad consequence of CF here; because that's depressing.

If you’re interested in the more mundane details of my life, here they are. I graduated in 2016 with a B.S. in Patient Advocacy and a minor in English Literature from Metropolitan State University of Denver. I like cats, even though I am allergic to them. In fact, I live with two. I spend too much money on skincare products. My favorite movie is The Shape of Water; I have watched it five times in a two-week span.

Well, that’s it! I did mention that I’m awkward, so an awkward end to this long-winded tale about myself is fitting.