Helping Hands at Monster

Helping Hands at Monster
What a treat! Yet another post from me today! Well, I just got great news (outside of the hospital) that I had to share. As you may know, I work for an awesome company called Monster Worldwide (yes, Monster.com) and they have written a story about Greg, CF, his battle, and his miracle - and the CF Foundation will receive a $100 donation from the company on behalf of Greg and may even be drawn to receive a $1,000 donation at a later date. They call it "Helping Hands" and choose a different charity to highlight each month. That means that our story was shared with all Monster employees and the whole company is pulling for Greg and I. (I added myself because my VP would not be happy if I didn't include myself - Thanks Lynn! *smile*) So, without further chitter-chatter, here is the article written. Greg and I are truly blessed. Thank you!

Helping Hands

A Couple’s Battle with Cystic Fibrosis

Shannon Steffen, a CRM Systems Administrator in Milwaukee, married the love of her life five years ago. Despite being very different individuals -- she’s a “little Italian New Yorker” while her husband Greg is a “Packer Backer” the couple “happen to have one of the best relationships out there.”The strength of their love has been tested and proven over and over as the couple battle’s with Greg’s illness, Cystic Fibrosis (CF). The genetic disease is caused by a defective gene that causes the body to produce an abnormally thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections. These thick secretions also obstruct the pancreas, preventing digestive enzymes from reaching the intestines to help break down and absorb food.In her own words, Steffen tells the story of their battle with CF on their website:Greg was in Minnesota chatting with me through an IRC [an internet chat room] before we met when the news came out. Greg said that he loves me very much but that he had something bad to tell me. I was scared and as I typed back to find out what it was, my hands started to shake. He told me "I have CF and I can understand if you don't want to be with me anymore". I was shocked. CF?!?!Then I started to think a little. "What is CF?" I had no clue of what that meant. In 1995 it was not a very often heard of disease. He explained that it was Cystic Fibrosis and told me that it was a disease that effects his lungs and digestive system. I was shocked but still didn't understand. He then told me that it was fatal. I asked when he caught this ugly disease and I think he laughed a little (because everyone asks that). I believe that at this point, his fingers were trembling also."Cystic Fibrosis is not caught, it is something you are born with" was what I was told next. I kept thinking it was something like AIDS. He told me that he would understand if I no longer wanted to speak to him. Why would I want to deal with something so horrible. Well being the person I am, I took a deep breathe and calmed my hands down a little.My reply was simply "It is too late for me to leave you, I am already in love with you and will be with you forever". Being that we were on the computers, I don't know how he reacted emotionally but the next thing I read is "Good, I love you so much and don't want to lose you".Again, being the person I am, when we said our good-byes for the day, I ran over to the campus library and took out all the books that I could about CF. I even read a book (forgive me but I forgot the name) written by a teenager who died from CF. It was her journal of sorts. I was touched and automatically started to fight for CF and that is where I am at now.My husband, Greg, is the most wonderful man ever. I do believe that God has made us soul mates for a reason. He has stood by me through thick and thin. How can I not love and be with a man that is so beautiful? I know that it is not his fault that he has CF but it seems unfair at times. How can you be so perfect and yet have such an imperfect body? Deep down inside I know it is to challenge us to appreciate life more often. Greg has taught me that.Lately, Greg has been very sick and is on home IVs every 5 weeks and oxygen 24/7 to help him breathe. His disease was mostly digestive but now his disease as come to the "final stages". Greg lost his only sister, Diana, back in 1988, at the tender age of 16 from CF. He is now an only child and looks at death with new eyes since that horrible day in 1988. He sees through these eyes when he looks in the mirror everyday or when he looks at his two younger cousins, Mike and Joe, who also have this horrible disease.Now we strive to make sure that we don't lose anyone else that is dear to us. We try to walk the 6.2 miles in the Great Strides Walk every year. We spread Cystic Fibrosis and Organ Donation awareness and we keep the thoughts of our already lost and loved ones in our hearts and minds every day that we are able to get out of the bed in the morning and take a deep breath . . .Happily, only days ago good news arrived: they received a call at 1:00 a.m. on November 11th that there was an organ donor and Greg would get new lungs. From accounts on their blog (http://thesteffens.blogspot.com/), the transplant was successful and Greg is recovering nicely.To learn more about CF or to make a donation you can visit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s website at: http://www.cff.org/.