Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback and current NFL media analyst Boomer Esiason sent a special shout-out to his son Gunnar on his 32nd birthday on Thursday.
This normally would not qualify as top news, but given that Gunnar was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at two years of age and the prognosis was bleak, it is a joyful piece of news.
Hey @G17Esiason thank you for 32 amazing years! Here’s to many more.
pic.twitter.com/Hg1TpmKFoy
— Boomer Esiason (@7BOOMERESIASON) April 7, 2023
What Boomer Said
Sharing a picture of himself with Gunnar on his shoulders, and Gunnar now holding his son on his shoulders, Boomer is especially grateful.
This is Gunnar and his son Kaspar. Gunnar turned 32 today. At Kaspar’s age a CF patient was expected to live into their early 20’s. Gunnar is our hero and Kaspar is our miracle. To all who have shared this journey with @cysticfibrosisI cant say thank you enough.
The Esiason Family Faced Cystic Fibrosis Head-On
At the time Gunnar was diagnosed, Cystic Fibrosis was a rarely discussed incurable disease that dramatically shortened a person’s life span.
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease affecting a protein in the body that impacts breathing and digestion.
In the 1960s, the life span of a CF patient was 15 years of age.
Esiason’s foundation, The Boomer Esiason Foundation, has never stopped fighting for a better life and pursuing a cure for CF patients.
While there is no known cure to date, therapies and medications have improved the quality of life.
Those remedies have also drastically lengthened the life span of people afflicted with it.
Patients can expect to live into their late 30s and often well beyond today.
Boomer’s Bike Race
Boomer is currently preparing for a May 7, 2023 bike race called the Five Boro Bike Tour that will travel through all of New York City’s boroughs.
His team Boompa has already raised nearly $22,000 for the race.
As Esiason writes on his fundraising page,
“I joined this fight against CF in 1993. I vowed to amplify the voices of the families that began this fight over 50 years ago.”
We wish Gunnar Esiason a Happy Birthday and extend our gratitude to Boomer Esiason for using his platform to tirelessly advocate for CF patients.
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