Surfing aiding kids suffering from cystic fibrosis

Surfing leads to medical breakthrough; Professional surfers are teaming up to get children with cystic fibrosis surfing in free surf clinics.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Surfing has a unique relationship with cystic fibrosis, the number one genetic killer among kids in the US. Children with CF have what is similar to a chronic, severe chest cold and sinus problems. After reports of CF sufferers feeling better after surfing, medical researchers looked into what turned to be a new medical treatment for CF called hypertonic saline therapy. This treatment basically mimics exposure to salty air. Surfing, a natural way to get salt and moisture in the lungs, helps prolong and improve the quality of life for those with this life-shortening disease.

Newport Surf Camp, Cordell Miller Surfboards, and Ambry Genetics have teamed up with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to provide free surf clinics for children with CF, and to spread the word about this natural and fun way to combine exercise and relief from CF-related respiratory symptoms. The next surf clinic will be held Saturday, September 8th, at the 28th Street Jetty in Newport Beach from 5-7 p.m.

This connection to surfing was discovered last year, at a children’s hospital on the coast of Australia, where several CF kids were coming in for routine check-ups. During the visit, physicians noticed that their lung function, or their ability to take in more air during breathing, showed marked improvement. What researchers later found out was that these kids were going out to surf before they came in for their visit to the hospital. Researchers later made the connection that the exposure to the salty air aids in improving overall lung health for CF sufferers.

James Dunlop from Ambry Genetics explains, “Every time a child with CF gets in the water, it helps clear out their nasal passages and airway. That cuts down on infections, hospitalizations, and slows down the rate of permanent lung damage, potentially increasing overall lifespan and health. We want to take this great new treatment back to its roots, by getting the kids with CF into the water and surfing.” Todd Elder of Newport Surf Camp added, “Surfing has always been good for the soul, so there is this emotional therapy side for the CF kids. But to share surfing with these kids and at the same time know that it is helping them physically, is incredible.”

Cystic Fibrosis is a life-shortening genetic disease affecting about 30,000 people in the U.S. The life expectancy of CF patients has risen dramatically in the last two decades from about 18 years of age to about 37 with modern drug therapies. It is through the support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and their drug pipeline that has provided many more years to the CF population. Please contact your local CF office to see how you can help change CF to Cure Found.

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About the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a donor-supported, nonprofit organization committed to finding therapies and ultimately a cure for cystic fibrosis, and to improving the lives of those with the disease. For more information, visit www.cff.org.

Contact:

CASEY CASTON, Southern California Director of Special Events
Southern California Chapter, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Phone: (714) 938-1393

E-mail: ccaston@cff.org

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