Teen Advocacy Day is an event unlike any other, where teens between the ages of 12 and 18 share stories with their Congressional representatives about their family members and loved ones living with cystic fibrosis. This year was my fourth Teen Advocacy Day, and my first as a Teen Advocacy Day intern.
This year's Teen Advocacy Day was such an amazing experience, with more than 200 advocates, including 70 teens, representing 32 states in attendance at the 10th annual event. As an intern, it was inspiring to join the teens, some of whom have built relationships with their representatives through visits year after year, and some who were on the Hill for the very first time.
To me, Teen Advocacy Day is a way to keep my mother's story alive and give back to the community that helped her live 34 years longer than her doctors predicted. Even though she lost her fight with cystic fibrosis, thousands are still living with the disease every day, and are continuing to fight.
It's impossible to put into words just how spectacular this event is, so this year the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, with the help of the amazing teens participating, put together a video to show first-hand what it's like to be a teen advocate.