On the occasion of the World Cystic Fibrosis Day, the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association and the author-illustrator, Liana Denezaki, organize a special event. “Secret Mission: CF”, the first interactive children’s book about Cystic Fibrosis in Greece, comes to life at the 52nd Book Festival with interactive games, gifts and many surprises for young and old. The event will take place on Sunday, September 15, at 18.00, at the Central Stage of the Book Festival in Pedion Areos.

At the start of the event the Greek Minister of Health, Mr. Adonis Georgiades will give welcome talk and then experts will inform the attendees about Cystic Fibrosis and the power and benefits of the book not only for patients but also for the general public. The event will culminate with the fun “CF Party Time!”, featuring interactive activities, games, music, prizes and surprises for visitors of all ages. Platinum sponsor of the event is Vertex Pharmaceuticals, whose generous support made the creation and publication of the book possible.

“We invite you to an event that aims to turn all the “no’s” that stand in the way of our lives first into “Why not?” and then into happy and optimistic “YES”. Join the Secret Mission K.I. and discover with us how even just one “yes” at a time can bring us closer to a better world. Ours!”, says the author and illustrator of the book, Liana Nieszaki.

“Cystic fibrosis is the most common hereditary disease with over half a million carriers in Greece. The daily life of a patient with Cystic Fibrosis is difficult, full of challenges, as the struggle with the symptoms and the need for continuous treatment significantly affect the quality of life. The aim of our event is to inform and raise awareness about the disease and its prevention, but also to inspire us to discover how a children’s book can change the way we can deal with every difficulty in life.”, reports the Anna Spinou, President of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association, who participated in the creation of the book.

Throughout the event, visitors will have the opportunity to take the book and souvenirs for free. After the end of the event and for the duration of the Festival, visitors will be able to obtain fo free the book from the stand No. 165 of the “Yellow Patini” publications, by arrangement with the Association.

* The book “Secret Mission: CF” was created in December 2023. It is an initiative of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association with the kind support of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The writing and illustration was undertaken by the renowned author and illustrator of children’s books, Liana Denezaki, in collaboration with the Board of Directors of the Association and the scientific supervision of the Cystic Fibrosis Pediatric Centers, the Cystic Fibrosis Scientific Committee, the psychiatrist Irini Katsini and the child psychologist Anna Parisi. The book is published by “Yellow Patini” and distributed free of charge by the Association and the Cystic Fibrosis Centres. Browse the book on the Association’s website here

————————-

Cystic fibrosis is the most common inherited disease in the white race, with which 1 in 2,000-2,500 children are born. For every couple, where both parents are carriers of the defective cystic fibrosis gene, there is a 25% chance in each pregnancy that they will give birth to a child with the disease. Cystic fibrosis is a chronic, multisystemic disease that mainly affects the lungs and pancreas. Patients face a difficult daily routine and spend about 3-4 hours a day on their daily treatments. The only survival option for those in end-stage respiratory failure is lung transplantation.