To see Marietta native Barri Braswell Culpepper, you wouldn't know she has cystic fibrosis, an aggressive, genetic disease that affects approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. At age 5, after having been misdiagnosed with severe allergies, doctors said Culpepper would be lucky if she lived long enough to graduate from high school.

However, she beat the odds, graduating from Wheeler High School in 1991. She went on to earn a Masters of Fine Arts in Interior Design from Savannah College of Art & Design. She also works full time as a Registered Interior Designer and is a wife and mother of twin girls.

Thanks to research funded by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, established in 1955 to assure the development of a cure and to improve the quality of life for those with the disease, the median survival age for people with CF has almost doubled.

"The most important thing is education and awareness. Everyone knows what cancer or HIV is, but not everyone knows about CF," said Culpepper. "Without funding it is difficult to conduct adequate research, which is what we need if we are going to find a cure to beat this disease. It is through research that new drugs and treatments have enabled me to live to 36 years and have a family of my own.

"I want to give parents (of children) with CF hope and I want to give CF patients hope," said Culpepper. "It doesn't have to be this awful thing in your life. I hope I can be an inspiration for parents who have children with CF."