Mary Beth Helms Templin had a lifetime of challenges with her lungs, starting with being diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at just three months old. Those challenges paled in comparison to Templin’s experience as a young adult, which ultimately led her to the UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute to receive a double lung transplant.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) primarily affects the lungs and digestive system, but breathing problems cause the most serious issues for those suffering from the disease. This life-threatening, inherited (genetic) condition causes thick mucus to build up in the body’s organs, especially the lungs and pancreas. The cells responsible for producing mucus, sweat, and digestive juices change […]

For patients with the life-threatening genetic respiratory disorder known as cystic fibrosis (CF), daily treatment routines often mean a life of inconvenience and discomfort. For UAB Medicine patient Mark Sleeper, however, CF is no longer a matter of constant care. Major advances in drug therapy at the UAB Gregory Fleming James Cystic Fibrosis Research Center gave Sleeper what he calls “a completely normal life.”