We're doing a news interview!

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

I haven't read any posts as of late so I hope all of you are well.

and I are going to be interviewed by our local news station

on Monday and I am a basket of nerves! It all started when one of my

co-workers asked if I'd participate in a promotional ad for Time

Warner, where I work. I said sure, but when I started telling the

news lady about and CF and the upcoming Great Strides walk

she said that we'd have to do a whole separate piece on this! Plus

they want to cover the walk. So she called yesterday and she's coming

Monday. Sooooo, I need advice. I've only been subjected to this

damned disease for a year so I'm afraid that I'll not get the message

across the way I want to. What I want to do is use key phrases that

will touch the audience and compell them to possibly participate in

our search for the cure. I want to be able to describe this disease

effectively without babbling on and on. I'd also like to touch on the

recent advancements of CF but still emphasize the road ahead that

leads to a cure. I know enough to explain CF to a relative or a co-

worker but I'm afraid that it may not be good enough for tv and I

want to do the CF community justice by being effective. I've never

been much of a public speaker. So you guys out there (Kim with all of

your wonderfully eloquent posts) I need some tips (and valium...just

kidding). What would you guys say if presented with the same

opportunity?

This really is such a great opportunity to broadcast CF to my

community and possibly gain some participation in our Great Strides

walk which from what I understand has never been a huge event. I just

don't want to screw it up.

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

Michele

mom to Mikailah 5 1/2 w/asthma & Matt 11 mos w/CF

[Guest guest]

Michele,

This is so scary for people who really do not seek fame and would

much rather be behind the camera that in front of it.

But I always feel it is our duty to step outside the comfort zone

when it comes to CF. And I am glad I did it when was young

and cute because now that he is 7 he has a mind of his own and it

definitely doesn't involve being " in public " as he says. In fact just

yesterday I had to cancel our appointment to help film a public

service announcement because he was in tears about it.

Hard as it as for me, I had to remember he is a person with opinions

and thoughts of his own. And I left the tv work to younger kids who

hopefully enjoy it more.

I did an interview once and was very depressed at that time and I

thought I blew it, but they salvaged the stupid, rambling things I

said and made it into something reasonably good.

I would just try to write down the basic info about cf so you don't forget it:

1 in 27 Americans is a carrier of one of the genes for CF (That is 10

million people).

You need to inherit a gene from each parent to have cf.

CF involves several areas of the body, but most significantly the

lungs and digestive system. Instead of a smooth mucus which we all

have to keep things clean and moving in our bodies, a person with CF

produces a thick, sticky mucus which blocks digestive enzymes and

clogs the lungs making them prone to infections which can destroy

them.

It is a progressive disease which can be slowed by therapies and

medications but as yet cannot be cured.

The CFF is an organization which raises money to fund research to

cure cf and find helpful treatments to keep patients healthy until a

cure is found.

With the financial, emotional and physical drain a chronic illness

puts on a family, it brings to light the fact that we are not all as

independent as we might have thought. As uncomfortable as it is, we

may have to ask for help at times, and in such a major thing as

curing a devastating disease, much help is needed.

Just mty thoughts.

Keep calm and know you are doing this for so many others.

Thank you,

Lenora

>Hello all,

>I haven't read any posts as of late so I hope all of you are well.

> and I are going to be interviewed by our local news station

>on Monday and I am a basket of nerves! It all started when one of my

>co-workers asked if I'd participate in a promotional ad for Time

>Warner, where I work. I said sure, but when I started telling the

>news lady about and CF and the upcoming Great Strides walk

>she said that we'd have to do a whole separate piece on this! Plus

>they want to cover the walk. So she called yesterday and she's coming

>Monday. Sooooo, I need advice. I've only been subjected to this

>damned disease for a year so I'm afraid that I'll not get the message

>across the way I want to. What I want to do is use key phrases that

>will touch the audience and compell them to possibly participate in

>our search for the cure. I want to be able to describe this disease

>effectively without babbling on and on. I'd also like to touch on the

>recent advancements of CF but still emphasize the road ahead that

>leads to a cure. I know enough to explain CF to a relative or a co-

>worker but I'm afraid that it may not be good enough for tv and I

>want to do the CF community justice by being effective. I've never

>been much of a public speaker. So you guys out there (Kim with all of

>your wonderfully eloquent posts) I need some tips (and valium...just

>kidding). What would you guys say if presented with the same

>opportunity?

>This really is such a great opportunity to broadcast CF to my

>community and possibly gain some participation in our Great Strides

>walk which from what I understand has never been a huge event. I just

>don't want to screw it up.

>Thanks in advance for all of your help!

>

>Michele

>mom to Mikailah 5 1/2 w/asthma & Matt 11 mos w/CF

>

>