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Tanya Taylor was born with a Cystic Fibrosis. A genetic diesese that affects 1 in every 3,500 live births a year. It causes trouble with the lungs and digestive system. Tanya has been in and out of the hospital all of her life. At 25 year old she has already beat the odds of life expectancy for someone with CF. Tanya still maintains an unbreakable spirit and wants to help others. Last year while in Salt Lake City waiting for her double lung transplant she thought about all of the kids that this disese affects and wanted to help them. She wants a better childhood for them than she had growing up. One with less frequent hospital stays and a higher quality of life. Tanya thought that the best fundraiser we could do would be a barrel race because of the strong rodeo community in Cache Valley. It went off without a hitch and was a success. Just 2 weeks after the event Tanya got the phone call that would change her life forever, the Doctors had found her a set of healthy lungs. Her family and friends stood by her side through the whole process. Tanya made it through the intense surgery with flying colors. But that was just the first of the many milestones that come with a transplant. One of the scariest and hardest parts of the surgery and recovery was getting off the ventilator. She tried a couple of times with poor results and didn't think she could do it. But after a couple tries her new lungs finally took in the air on their own. It was nothing short of a miracle. Tanya's new life started that day. Today she is healthy and happy, living "the dream". She is able to do things that she hasn't for a long time. Tanya can now run a mile, ride her horse, hang out with friends, walk places instead of using a wheelchair, and travel. She thanks everyone who stood by her through the transplant and supported the benefit last year. She is excited to be able to attend the barrel race this year and hopes to raise more awareness and money for the kids with CF.
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