Holiday Homes of Hope Tour Raises Awareness for Cystic Fibrosis

Funds from the event go towards medication, scholarships, and education

MOORHEAD, Minn. — Some call cystic fibrosis an invisible disease, but one organization is raising awareness with the Holiday Homes of Hope tour.

“It can be very frightening to know you have an invisible disease. There’s a lot of uncertainty with that. There’s also a lot of hope,” Pam Thompson, development director for Cystic Fibrosis Association of ND, said.

The group’s Holiday Homes of Hope tour lets thousands of people explore houses decked out in holiday splendor and go to a boutique and vendor show. Money raised from the event goes towards medication, scholarships, and education to support people  who have cystic fibrosis, or CF.

“It costs a lot of money to treat, and we work really hard to keep our friends with CF healthy, and that takes a lot of money and a lot of time,” Thompson said.

Some newer drugs can cost $30,000 a month. CF is a genetic disease that makes it hard to for people to clear thick mucus in their bodies.

The tour started nine years ago when three neighbors opened up their homes to help a child with CF.

“Today it has evolved into the tour of nine beautiful homes, a large boutique and vendor show and thousands of people coming on the tour despite weather today,” Lisa Backlund, chair of Holiday Homes of Hope, said.

One thing the association wants people to know is that CF is not contagious.

“Some people think it’s catching. Someone with CF might cough a lot, they’re trying to clear mucus from their lungs, it’s not catching,” Thompson said.

However, there are some lung infections that could be passed between those who have CF.

“It’s become a very socially isolating disease, if you have a friend with CF and you have CF, you probably can’t be in the same room together,” Thompson said.

There is no cure now, but people do have hope.

“Hopefully there’s a cure someday. That’s the main hope for everyone, that CF stands for ‘cure found,'” Thompson said.

The Homes of Hope Tour will continue Sunday, Nov. 11 at noon.