My Every Breath

05/08/2026

18/05/2026

06/05/2026

Research:
One of our key research areas is gene therapy for cystic fibrosis. We have be working in the area extensively for many years.

We use lentiviral vectors to deliver a functional copy of the CFTR gene to airway cells, aiming to correct the underlying cause of disease, rather than just treating symptoms.

This approach has the potential to provide long-term improvement in lung function and change the way cystic fibrosis is treated.

04/05/2026

Fact:
Cystic fibrosis is a multi-organ disease, affecting the lungs, pancreas, intestines, sinuses and reproductive system.

While many parts of the body are impacted, it is lung disease that has the greatest effect on health and quality of life.

03/05/2026

Day 3: How Cystic Fibrosis Affects the Body?

When people hear cystic fibrosis (CF), they often think of the lungs. But CF goes far beyond breathing. It affects the body in ways many never see.

Cystic fibrosis causes the body to produce thick, sticky mucus that builds up in the lungs. This makes each breath more difficult and leads to ongoing infections and inflammation. Over time, this can cause lasting damage. For many people, daily treatments and hospital stays become part of everyday life.

The impact continues in the digestive system. In the pancreas, this same mucus blocks the enzymes needed to break down food. Even eating can become a challenge. The body struggles to absorb nutrients, which can affect growth, energy, and overall health. Many people with CF need to take enzyme supplements with every meal just to receive the nourishment their bodies need.

To maintain their health, people with CF often follow high calorie, high protein diets. This is not simply about eating more. It is about giving the body the strength to fight infections and keep going each day.

Cystic fibrosis affects more than just the lungs. It shapes daily life in ways that are often unseen.

Understanding this helps us recognise the strength it takes to live with CF, and why ongoing care, support, and research are so important.

To know more about CF Awareness Month: https://www.cysticfibrosis.org.au/cfawarenessmonth/

01/05/2026

Dive deeper: https://bit.ly/4260qdO

💜May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. Let’s honor the strength of individuals and families affected by CF and continue to raise awareness for better treatments, a deeper understanding, and improved support. Every share helps bring visibility to a rare condition that significantly impacts daily life in numerous ways.💜

01/05/2026

Warning: following CFRI this May may result in learning things that make you want to immediately tell everyone you know. 💜

It is CF Awareness Month and our Purple Power campaign is live — 31 days of daily CF facts, community stories & content so good you will not be able to scroll past it.

Here is your three step plan:
📘 Follow us and show up daily for CF facts that will educate, move & motivate you

💬 Like, share, and comment — or download our free Purple Power graphics and make your own content https://curecf.cfri.org/PurplePower2026

💜 Tag .cureCF and use — every action enters you to win sticker packs and t-shirts. Yes really.

Side effects may include: increased CF knowledge, spontaneous purple wardrobe choices, and an uncontrollable urge to share. You have been warned. 💜

👉 Follow today. Check in daily. Tell your people.

Sponsored by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Viatris and Sionna Therapeutics.

01/04/2026

Explore the changes: https://bit.ly/4rrSMET

Life after transplant brings new routines, new emotions, and new expectations. This piece offers an honest look at how things shift and what it means to adjust to a different version of daily life.

29/01/2026

MY EVERY BREATH DELIVERS A POWERFUL MEMOIR OF RESILIENCE, GRIEF, AND UNYIELDING HOPE
Co-authors Anna Maynard with Karen Emilson share an extraordinary true story of survival in the face of illness, loss, and unimaginable tragedy.
Acclaimed for its emotional depth and literary strength, My Every Breath:
A Memoir of Love, Loss and Hope by Anna Maynard with Karen Emilson stands as a profoundly moving account of endurance against overwhelming odds. Written with honesty and grace, the memoir chronicles a life shaped by chronic illness, devastating personal loss, and the relentless pursuit of meaning and hope.
Diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at just six months old-during a time when children with the disease were expected to live no more than fourteen years-Anna Maynard's life was marked early by uncertainty.
Determined to experience normalcy, she navigated a tumultuous childhood while confronting the death of her older sister France, who succumbed to the same illness. Against all expectations, Anna survived, growing into adulthood while continuing to battle the physical and emotional toll of her condition.
Now in her mid-fifties, Anna recounts a life that defies comprehension in its breadth of hardship. From undergoing a double lung transplant to enduring the senseless murder of her beloved mother, the memoir does not shy away from pain. Instead, it examines suffering with courage, reflection, and remarkable emotional clarity. One of the book's most gripping threads follows Anna through the courtroom as she faces the man responsible for her mother's death, wrestling with grief, justice, and the complex notion of forgiveness.
The book's strength lies not only in its subject matter, but in its storytelling. Co-written with Karen Emilson, My Every Breath reads with the narrative power of literary fiction while remaining grounded in truth. Vivid scenes, intimate reflections, and thoughtful pacing draw readers through decades of lived experience, offering a rare balance of vulnerability and resilience.
The inspiration behind the memoir is rooted in testimony-to survival, to love, and to the human capacity to endure. Rather than positioning herself solely as a victim of circumstance, Anna presents her life as evidence that hope can coexist with sorrow, and that meaning can still be found after profound loss.
My Every Breath is written for readers drawn to true-life stories of perseverance, including fans of When Breath Becomes Air and Memorial Drive. It resonates deeply with those affected by chronic illness, grief, and trauma, while offering a universal message about strength, compassion, and the will to keep living fully.
The book is now available - secure your copy here: Amazon.ca or Amazon.com
For review copies, interview requests, or additional information, please contact:
Anna Maynard
Email: maynardannagillesegmail.com