Kaitlyn Meiss

Kaitlyn Meiss, a senior at Horizon High School, has been leading cystic fibrosis awareness and fund-raising activities for the past four years, inspired by the hope that her younger sister will one day benefit from research into the deadly disease.

Kaitlyn has watched her sister, Lauren, struggle with CF almost her whole life. But when she saw how much a new treatment had helped, “I started to think about how many more advancements in treatments for CF could take place if more money was raised,” she said.

Her first step was putting together a team for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s annual Great Strides Walk in her eighth- and ninth-grade years. The following year, Kaitlyn founded a CF awareness and fund-raising club at her school that now boasts close to 50 student members.

So far, Kaitlyn’s initiatives have raised more than $30,000 for CF research. And her club’s success has led Kaitlyn to help organize a multi-school CF “youth leadership council” and to assist in the establishment of CF clubs at eight other high schools.

“I will continue to work closely with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation until CF stands for ‘cure found,’” said Kaitlyn.