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HEROES OF HOPE? LIVING WITH CF PROGRAM 3.31.2004 Chris Fowler, Aspiring Race Car Driver, Personifies Hope for People Living with Cystic Fibrosis SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. March 31, 2004 The Heroes of Hope Living with CF Advisory Program Panel is pleased to announce Jacksonville, Fla. native Chris Fowler, 28, aspiring race car driver and active cystic fibrosis (CF) advocate, as the first award recipient of its new recognition program designed to honor people with CF who give hope to others. Fowler was chosen by the Panel for his ability to inspire his community by demonstrating courage, determination and a positive attitude while managing his health everyday. We are excited to have Chris as our first Hero of Hope, said Randall Young, Jr., MD, professor of medicine and director, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Center and a Heroes of Hope Panel member. The program was created to celebrate hope for people living with CF, and Chris exemplifies the qualities we strive to honor in Heroes of Hope Living with CF award recipients. With his positive attitude and determination, and the manner in which he embraces life to the fullest, we believe Chris will serve as an inspiration to others living with CF, Young said. Chris Fowler: An Inspiration and a Role Model Chris was first diagnosed with CF when he was six months old. From as early as he can remember, he has remained active to stay healthy, excelling in sports year-round, including being the quarterback of his football team and the MVP of his basketball team in high school. Today, in addition to working 40 to 50 hours per week as a network engineer and running his own Web hosting and design company, Chris is pursuing his dream to become a professional race car driver. His desire to race cars started when he was nine years old and has continued ever since. During his first racing season, he won six out of ten races and later, the championship award. This season was followed by several top-three finishes and continued with his most recent achievement of reaching speeds of 170 mph in a stock car at the Daytona speedway. Chris also finds time to give back to his community, participating yearly in several fundraising events for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF), acting as a speaker to motivate and inspire others with CF and pledging to give 10% of his racing proceeds to the CFF. For more information about Chris, visit www.fowlerracing.com. I have always wanted cystic fibrosis to be as well known as other illnesses, especially because there is not a cure, he said. So, as I go out and race, I want to create awareness for the disease and for finding a cure in front of 30 million NASCAR fans. The Importance of Health Maintenance Chris attributes his proactive health maintenance and a positive attitude as the key to achieving his dreams. To maintain an active and healthy lifestyle, Chris spends two to three hours every day on various medical therapies, and he works out for a minimum of 30 minutes each day. When I was about 20 years old, I made staying healthy my top priority. I realized that if Im not healthy, theres no way Im going to be able to work or go to school, and theres no way Im going to be able to get in a race car and pursue my dreams. So I had to put my health first. About Heroes of Hope Living with CF The Heroes of Hope Living with CF was created by Genentech, Inc., and its mission is to recognize the contributions of inspirational people affected by CF, a genetic disease that affects approximately 30,000 people in the United States. For patients with CF, a defective gene causes the body to produce an abnormally thick and sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and obstructs the pancreas, making breathing and food absorption difficult. According to the CF Foundation’s National Patient Registry, the median age of survival for a person with the disease is in the early 30s.
How the Heroes of Hope Living with CF Program
Works · Serves as a role model and portrays hope to others with CF · Takes initiative and has a spark to pursue goals and dreams · Takes an active role in maintaining his or her health with the recommended treatment regimen · Contributes to his or her community · Has a special attitude that helps them respond in a positive way to lifes challenges Although this program is made possible by Genentech, Inc., use and/or purchase of any Genentech products is not required for nomination or selection.
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