Helping the Cystic Fibrosis community build families against the odds.

Cystic Fibrosis is a fatal, inherited disease caused by mutations in the CFTR (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator) gene. It forces the body to produce abnormally thick, sticky mucus that clogs and progressively damages the lungs, digestive system, and reproductive organs. There is no cure.

Cystic Fibrosis causes congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) in over 95% of men⁴, the tube that carries sperm from the testes just never forms. Most men with Cystic Fibrosis still produce healthy sperm; the barrier is structural, not a production problem, something that's often misunderstood even within the Cystic Fibrosis community. For women with Cystic Fibrosis, thickened cervical mucus and the physical demands of managing a chronic illness create their own barriers. For most couples affected by Cystic Fibrosis, building a biological family requires IVF, and for men that typically starts with a minor procedure to retrieve sperm directly.

CFTR modulator therapies, Kalydeco, Symdeko, and most recently Trikafta, have dramatically extended life expectancy for Cystic Fibrosis patients and are meaningfully improving fertility for women with Cystic Fibrosis. For men, these medications don't reverse the structural cause of infertility, so assisted reproductive technology remains the primary path to biological parenthood. For the first time, though, a growing number of people with Cystic Fibrosis are healthy enough, and hopeful enough, to think seriously about starting a family.