We had the opportunity to do a Q& A with New York Times bestselling author, Rachael Lippincott. This past week her book Five Feet Apart, hit the big screen and has amplified the conversation surrounding cystic fibrosis. This main stream coverage of CF has increased awareness and set the stage for a conversation about CF in the “non cfer” spectrum. Opening so many doors for finding a cure for cystic fibrosis, Rachael is a true #CFwarrior!
Q: When were you first introduced to cystic f
A: To be completely honest, I didn’t know about cystic fibrosis until I picked up the screenplay for Five Feet Apart and poured over it in one afternoon. I was so incredibly moved by Will and Stella and their story that I spent the rest of the night reading about CF and B.
From that initial spark, my inspiration grew tenfold over the months that followed. It became about the real life Wills and Stellas. People like Claire Wineland, who stare CF in the face and inspire so many others to live a life that they can be proud of. Or Andy, who is so dedicated to sharing the stories of other CF warriors while raising awareness about the disease. It became about a mom in Des Moines with this superhuman perseverance to raise money for the cystic fibrosis foundation so that her daughter and so many other people with CF can live to see a cure. It became about people who had never heard about cystic fibrosis reading Will and Stella’s story, or watching it on the big screen, and taking the time to open up google and learn about what the disease is.
That’s really what was at the heart of this project. Raising awareness about cystic fibrosis, and opening people’s eyes to this disease and the people who have it, whether they read the book or see the movie.
Q: How do you see this book impacting the CF community?
The biggest way I see the book impacting the CF community is in that awareness about cystic fibrosis that I previously mentioned. The book is helping to not only create awareness about CF, but it acts as almost a starting point for people to begin to learn more about the disease, as people start to look outside the book for more information. This is really the first time CF has been put in the spotlight in such a huge, huge way, and between the book and the movie, it’s creating this open dialogue about cystic fibrosis all over social media and the internet. I think the most powerful impact that I’ve seen has been people asking
And, ultimately, my greatest hope, and the hope of everyone involved, is that Five Feet Apart can help in a big way to bring about a cure, whether that’s through increased awareness or donation-based funding.
Q:What was the most interesting thing you learned about CF during the process of writing the book?
A: This is a great question. The most INTERESTING thing…Well, this may be a bit of a strange answer, but Travis Flores, an incredible CFer that currently has a gofundme up for his third double-lung transplant (please support him!), recently posted a picture of his lungs after his first transplant. Like, he is actually holding his old lungs on a metal tray, and you can see the damage that has taken place over time from having CF. That probably was, simultaneously, the most interesting and the one of the most devastating things to learn about. Just to become more and more aware of the effects of this disease on the human body, and how there is presently no cure.
Q: How does it feel to be part of the CF community?
A: It is a complete honor. The people that I have talked to and met and interacted with in the CF community are beyond amazing, and to have become a part of this community, and a supporter, has been such a gift.
Q: As a CF supporter and #CFwarrior how do you see your fight to find a cure for CF to continue on?”
A: This book, like I aspire for my readers, has been its own starting point for me, and I know for a fact that advocating for CF awareness and donating whenever possible and joining a Great Strides team will be something I always, ALWAYS do. Getting to write Five Feet Apart was the start of my long journey as a CF supporter, and I can’t WAIT for the day there is a cure.
Special thanks to Rachael for participating in this Q&A and for joining the fight to cure CF! We are honored to have her on our side. #cfwarrior #cfwarriorproject
Five Feet Apart is available now on Amazon and in a theater near you!