Brick Woman Will Share Cystic Fibrosis Life For Rare Disease Day

JACKSON, NJ — A Brick Township woman is going to share her journey of living with cystic fibrosis and the technology that gives her a better quality of life at the Ocean County Library's Jackson branch to mark Rare Disease Day.

Amanda Rutherford of Brick will speak at 2 p.m. on Feb. 29 at the Jackson branch, 2 Jackson Dr. The event will be streamed live via on the Ocean County Library system's Facebook page.

Rutherford will talk about her daily life with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that causes her body to produce a thick mucus that sticks to the insides of her lungs, making breathing difficult and everyday activities challenging, and putting her at risk of infections.

Cystic fibrosis affects about 70,000 people worldwide, about 30,000 in America, and an estimated 475 in New Jersey. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation says that for someone living with the disease, it's like breathing through a straw all the time. If someone without the disease does it, it might not seem bad in the first few seconds, but the longer you do it, the more your lungs feel the strain.

Last summer, Rutherford received an Afflovest, which supports her life and her quality of life, thanks to the charity founded by Colton Underwood, a National Football League star who also appeared on a season of "The Bachelor." You can read more about her here: Brick Woman Gains Freedom Via Vest Gift From 'Bachelor' Star

Registration is required for this free program. To register, call the branch at 732-928-4400, or visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org/events or www.tinyurl.com/rarediseasedayfeb29. Register for the live stream at www.tinyurl.com/livestreamed.

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