From sacrificing a lung lobe to organizing a walk for charity, Mica Talbot is constantly fighting to find a cure for cystic fibrosis, a disease that plagues more than 30,000 Americans.

On Oct. 24 of last year, Talbot donated a lung lobe to Shannon Royer, one of his wife’s four cousins with cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is the most common genetic fatal disease in Caucasians. An individual must inherit two defective cystic fibrosis genes (one from each parent) to be born with cystic fibrosis. Approximately one in 31 Americans carry the defective gene, which causes the body to produce abnormally thick, sticky mucus. This mucus leads to chronic and life-threatening lung infections and impairs digestion.

Shannon had already received a cadaver lung transplant that unexpectedly failed shortly after she got married. Because of this, she was at the bottom of the list to receive another cadaver lung transplant. Her only hope was a much riskier live lung transplant. Meanwhile, her conditions continued to worsen and every minute counted.

“Her lungs collapsed and she was on a ventilator,” Talbot said. “It wasn’t looking good.”

Talbot, along with Shannon’s husband, volunteered to donate a lobe, an action that, if successful, would save her life. The University of Southern California pioneered the live lung transplant 13 years ago, which involves cutting open the back, spreading the ribs and removing the lobe through the newly widened space.

After the surgery, Talbot remained in California for awhile to recover and, to this date, Shannon’s transplant has been a complete success. Because the lungs that Shannon received were from people who did not have cystic fibrosis, she will not suffer the symptoms of cystic fibrosis in her lungs again.

“Her new lungs will never have that genetic problem,” Talbot said. “I hope she will get 50 to 60 years out of it.”

But Talbot’s experience with cystic fibrosis did not end or begin with the transplant. Talbot has four children, three of which have cystic fibrosis. Talbot spends time every day to assist his children with their challenges.

Talbot was familiar with the disease because of his wife’s cousins, but when his children were diagnosed in 2004 he began to learn about the disease on a whole new level.

“They were all diagnosed the same year,” Talbot said. “I got a crash course and learned a lot.”

Talbot’s life changed once his children received the diagnosis. Every day his children receive treatments to help assist them with their challenges. According to Talbot, individuals with cystic fibrosis undergo twice daily treatments that shake the mucus off their lungs. Antibiotics and other medicines are also used to prevent deadly lung infections.

As he became personally acquainted with the disease Talbot also became acquainted with a way to fight back—the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Talbot first heard of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation while he was at a doctor’s appointment with one of his children.

“The doctor mentioned the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to us,” Talbot said. “We went and met with them and got involved.”

Talbot has been involved in the Provo Great Strides walk for the past four years, which is one of the events the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation sponsors to raise both funds and awareness for cystic fibrosis. The last three years Talbot has served as the chairman for the walk. As the chairman, Talbot is in charge of making the walk happen.

“It’s something we’re very passionate about,” Talbot said. “The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was voted the number one health charity in a study done by the New York Times. More of your money goes toward management of the disease rather than administrative costs.”

The gene responsible for cystic fibrosis was identified in 1989 and, with the help of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, advances continue to be made towards finding a cure. Talbot said his goal is to one day make CF stand for cure found.

“The most fulfilling thing for me is seeing the report that the CFF publishes on how the life expectancy is increasing each year,” Talbot said. “Since the CF Foundation’s establishment in 1955, the life expectancy has risen from the single digits to 36.8 years of age in 2005.”