On February 16th, I attended the NOSH Gala. This was a service event as my club volunteered at it. There were many different things that we all helped with. For part of the event, I checked people in. Not only that, but I also helped with the live auction.
The NOSH Gala benefits those who have cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that occurs when a certain protein does not work properly. This results in failure for the protein to move chloride to the cell surface which causes mucus buildup. While one might think that it only affects the lungs, that is entirely not the case. In the organs, mucus becomes thick and sticky which causes breathing problems and other issues when it blocks ducts and passageways throughout the body. Mucus can also trap germs in the lungs which easily causes inflammation, respiratory failure, and infections which present large problems for those with cystic fibrosis. This also creates problems with malnutrition because in the pancreas, it fails to allow the body to absorb nutrition. Not only that, but blockage of the bile duct in the liver can cause this organ to fail.
While I knew most of that information prior to attending this event, I learned much more while I was at it. Dr. Mitchell Drumm, the co-discoverer of the gene that causes cystic fibrosis, was the main speaker. He spoke on the process of discovering it, and about how he was inspired by a neighbor of his named Ryan who was diagnosed with this disease before much was known about it. This is part of the reason he began researching about it in college. Not only did Dr. Drumm speak on this, he also Skyped Ryan during his presentation and let Ryan share his story from his point of view.
Not only was I servicing the guests to make their time more enjoyable, the guest were also putting in service just by being there. The tickets to attend the event were very expensive. Moreover, there was a silent auction, a live auction, and a portion where individuals could just donate to the Cystic Fibrosis  Foundation. Many took advantage of this opportunity and donated what they could to help the cause.
I was impacted by this event in a few different ways. Having never known anyone personally with CF, it is hard for me to know what they have to go through. When Ryan spoke, he shared many of his day -to- day problems because of the disease. I hate to say it, but it makes me blessed to have good heath. This event also makes me want to continue to attend events that raise money for the Foundation because of all the good that they do for those with the disease. I also gained a lot fo knowledge about Cystic Fibrosis from Dr. Drumm’s presentation.
This event relates to International Affairs in many ways. Diseases are universal; they are not just bound to certain county boarders. Along the same lines, when research is happening, and medicine or treatments are created, they are shared world wide. Breakthroughs are for everyone, and this needs to continue being the case. It would make no sense for people to have to do these things multiple times as a result of researchers in other parts of the world not sharing the knowledge that they have discovered.