Cystic Fibrosis Foundation hoping to raise $160,000

MILWAUKEE- It's a disease that cuts lives short, but there's a promising future ahead for those who suffer from it. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs. But Saturday at Milwaukee's Harley Davidson Museum, hundreds hoped to change the odds by raising money for research.

"It's a lung disease and he gets a mucus in his lungs it's like cement and he can't get it out of his lung," said Jerry Arenas, who described one of the symptoms his son Tony suffers from consistently.

"I look healthy but right now inside my body is just a disaster," said Tony Arenas.

Tony Arenas was only expected to reach his 15th birthday. Now 28, he maintains a healthy lifestyle by exercising regularly, and taking 15,000 pills a year, along with hours of I.V. treatments.

"I'm not going to give up, I'm not going to stop fighting so I'm just going to keep going at it, do what I got to do until we find that cure," said Tony Arenas.

Fortunately, there have been breakthroughs in the medical field, but there's one problem.

"They actually have more science than they have money to fund it, there's a lot more science available right now that can be funded to find a cure for this," said David Wierdsma, the co-chairman of the event.

On Saturday, with a record crowd, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation hoped to break a record, by raising at least $160,000.

"I feel that we're close and I do pray for the cure because it's finally in our reach," said Tony Arenas.

Despite a difficult economy, the C-F Foundation continues to break records with the amount of money raised at events like Saturday's "Breath of Life" gala. The foundation says the life expectancy with people living with the disease keeps rising, and that's because of new research and medicine.