Yesterday, I got to thinking about Richard Young, a pwcf who passed to the other side in 1998 just after his 23rd birthday. Many of you know that Richard was my inspiration.

It then came to my remembrance that Richard had sent me an essay he had written in 1997 on the subject of whether a CF life is worth living. I determined, today, to find that essay, type it up and put it on the UVICF website. Here is the link:

http://members.tripod.com/uvicf/richardsessay.htm

This essay was one of the great turning points for me and my family in coming to grips with CF, with Don Wood's story being another. These two great men with CF gave my family something to stand on, something to steady our souls at the beginning of our journey. In particular, Richard's essay helped me to understand that the true worth of a life is how much a person has loved and has been loved. With that as a benchmark, I knew my Johnny (and then Tommy and Jimmy) would have rich, full lives.