Perspectives From the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Community
Everyone’s experience with CF is unique. Listen along as individuals in the community share their diverse perspectives on how CF impacts day-to-day life and get useful information to help empower you in your own journey. And remember your healthcare provider is your best source of information.
Episodes
Traditions Through Transitions
Maggie, a proud member of the Latino community and business owner, opens up about her experience as a caregiver to her adult daughter with CF. Balancing the demands of caregiving with her love of cooking, family traditions, and entrepreneurship, Maggie shares how her cultural roots and resilience help her navigate life's toughest transitions.
Supporting Every Breath
Tune in for a bonus episode with Carissa! She's back, and this time, she's diving even deeper into very relatable topics about caregiving for a loved one with CF. This time, she’ll cover vulnerability, navigating your child’s dating and love life, and tackling negative self-talk as a caregiver.
For the original episode, listen to Carissa’s How to Cope episode on Uncommon Lungs.
Learning How to Cope
Meet Carissa, a dedicated caregiver and parent navigating the journey of raising a child with CF. Carissa shares her profound experiences, embracing the full spectrum of what it means to parent a child with CF, while also finding creative expression through her art. Discover how she weaves mindfulness, resilience, and joy into her daily life, and offers a unique perspective on caregiving and the power of love. Click Listen Now below to dive into the latest podcast episode.
Finding a Flow That Fits You
Get to know opera singer, yoga teacher, community leader, and entrepreneur Katie as she explains the unique experiences that led her to where she is today and listen as she shares how she incorporates mindfulness and joy into her routine on a daily basis. But first, listen to her guided meditation episode on Uncommon Lungs.
Ground yourself in more tips to support your emotional well-being and find activities that bring you joy and support your health.
Take a Mindful Moment
Find a quiet space and follow along with this relaxing mindfulness meditation led by yoga teacher Katie. Then, learn more about Katie in her conversation with Julia Rae.
Looking for more resources like this? Take a moment to try one of these stress-reducing breathing exercises or try another guided practice.
Embracing Your Personal Journey With CF
From leaving Guatemala with her family in search of crucial CF care to getting her master's degree and becoming a bilingual speech-language pathologist, Maria shares how her positive outlook and strong support system helped her stay true to herself every step of the way.
Wherever you are in your journey right now, stay inspired with community perspectives and learn ways to keep the positivity flowing with the Maintaining a Healthy Mindset video.
Reflecting on Past Conversations
Revisit highlights from previous podcast episodes and get some hints about future episode topics with host Julia Rae.
Get more nuggets of wisdom from previous podcast guests in this stress management article and in this financial planning article.
Making Your Career Work for You
Finding a career you enjoy can be so fulfilling. John and Julia discuss how they’ve each cultivated a work-life balance that fits their lifestyle, and Human Resources expert Susan gives examples of workplace accommodations and job search tips.
Get more information on Workplace Accommodations and discover other workplace considerations.
Facing Finances
Caregiver Magen gets real about the financial challenges she has faced as a parent of twins with CF, and social worker Amanda gives advice about making difficult life decisions and finding financial assistance.
Find more finance tips and check out our letter template to request insurance coverage.
Building Body Awareness
Belle talks through her relationship with her body and how her experience as a student athlete has affected that relationship. Then, Molly, a dietitian, provides a few methods for listening to your body and making sure it’s getting the nutrition it needs.
Get more tips from Molly in the Dishing on Fats and Nutrition video and explore the Body section of the site to expand your knowledge.
Coming of Age Stories
Tara moved across an ocean for love. Hear how she found support in her community and built a life she never imagined possible.
Feeling inspired? Read up on relationship tips.
Caregiver Experiences
Jen and her son, Michael, discuss some of the challenges they were able to overcome, the incredible accomplishments they’ve achieved, and how they’ve made the most of every moment.
Navigate milestones with your loved one.
Staying on Track & Making Time for Hobbies
College student Grace shares her experience pursuing a degree during the pandemic and how that has shaped her daily routine.
Keep in mind that this episode was recorded in 2021 and may not be reflective of a typical college transition.
Looking for ways to stay on track yourself? Check out our Staying on Track Journal and our College Transition Guide.
Meet the Host
Julia Rae is an actor, singer, model, writer, and advocate for the cystic fibrosis community. Living with CF herself, she has always made a point of empowering and uplifting people who have chronic conditions, and even founded her own nonprofit at the age of 16 to help fund music therapy programs for children facing challenges.
Along with hosting the Uncommon Lungs podcast, Julia Rae has made multiple TV and movie appearances. She now splits her time between her hometown of Philadelphia, New York City, and Los Angeles.