WHO IS TIM?
I AM A CF WARRIOR.
A warrior doesn't give up. A warrior fights. They fight for something greater than themselves. They fight for those who can't fight and to help others. YOU can become a CF Warrior. It's a mindset you can learn.
MY MESSAGE TO YOU IS TO LIVE A HEALTHY AND HAPPY LIFE.
Born in 1977, I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of 2. My parents were told there were no medicines to help me, there were no variations in severity, and I had about 10 years to live.
Unconvinced, my parents instilled a love of exercise and good eating habits as my only means to fight CF. Not only did I live past 10 years old but I graduated college with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology without missing a day of school...ever. I developed a love of exercise and nutrition. In 2003, despite the naysayers, I won the Connecticut State Men’s Bodybuilding title.
As I reached adulthood, my CF symptoms began to worsen. In 2007 I had an open cholecystectomy surgery to remove my gallbladder. In 2009 at the age of 32, I received a double lung transplant. In the recovery room, I promised my surgeon to run in the New York City Marathon having not run a mile since I was 12 years old. Less than a year later, my surgeon, Dr. Joshua Sonett, and I crossed the finish line together.
In the years that followed, I developed cystic fibrosis related diabetes. In 2018 I had sinus surgery to correct lifelong sinusitis and enlarged nasal polyps. The immunosuppressants that helped keep me alive by preventing my body from rejecting the transplanted lungs were slowly destroying my kidneys. Regardless, I had to keep taking it. In 2019, I received a kidney transplant donated by my awesomely amazing best-brother-contest award winner, Anthony.
For every surgery or procedure I have ever had, doctors attributed my positive outcome to my healthy lifestyle. In October 2019, the FDA approved the miracle drug Trikafta to specifically target the underlying defect caused by cystic fibrosis for those with the delta 508 mutation. The main benefit was a significant improvement in lung function. Though I had new (non-CF lungs) lungs, I began taking Trikafta as an experiment. As a result, my other CF related symptoms improved dramatically. Today I have never been in better health despite the long road I have been down.
I have spent the last 20 years personal training, teaching others the importance of nutrition and exercise and adherence to CF therapies, and advocating for CF. I learned to use exercise and proper nutrition, and most importantly, the right mindset to fight cystic fibrosis.
INSPIRING OTHERS
While I take pride in what I have been able and blessed to do, my drive comes from inspiring others to do the impossible.
Growing up, I looked everywhere for a role model who demonstrated the amount of courage and guts needed to thrive with cystic fibrosis. I wished I had someone who had "been there and done that". My mission today is to be the role model I wished I had.
