Spotlight: Karen Erasmi

In 1994, when Karen Erasmi was dating her now husband, they learned that his 1-year-old nephew, Robby, had Cystic Fibrosis (CF). This meant Robby had an incurable disease that could lead to the deterioration of his lungs and cause his pancreas to improperly absorb nutrients. At the time, the average life expectancy for those with the affliction was 22.

While she knew she couldn't eradicate CF, Erasmi, a Verizon Systems Engineer, wanted to find some way to help. As a result, her efforts to highlight the cause began in 1995 when she joined a team to take part in the CF Great Strides Walk in Boston.

"We got together such a large team that we thought about coordinating another walk outside of Boston," Erasmi said.

A daunting task indeed, but in 1996, Erasmi, her brother-in-law, husband, other family members and friends launched the CF Great Strides Walk in Dedham, Mass. Since then, Erasmi has continued as the co-chairperson of the 10-member committee that organizes the walk.

In 2006, under Erasmi's leadership, the CF Great Strides Walk in Dedham raised more than $159,500 to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Erasmi feels the funds from this walk will help to find a cure for CF, as the Foundation allocates 92 percent of the money it receives to research. And as she juxtaposes the past and the present, she sees progress.

"The average life expectancy for a person with CF is now 30," said Erasmi, whose niece Jessica was also diagnosed with the disease. "It's such a rewarding feeling to see all the progress being made through the research that has been going on to find a cure for this disease."

While it would seem that organizing a walk-a-thon would be enough to keep Erasmi busy, another incident inspired her to dedicate even more of her time and talents as a volunteer: On November 8, 2002, she was diagnosed with Gestational Trophoblastic Disease, a form of cancer.

When her intensive chemotherapy was completed in June 2003, Erasmi decided to take on an additional cause -- fundraising for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institutes Gillette Center for Womer's Cancers. And for the past three years, she has rolled up her sleeves and become involved as an organizer and participant in fundraising events such as the Executive Women's Golf Association's "Chip In for Cancer Golf Classic."

"I am so lucky," Erasmi explained with a smile. "I have a great family, great friends and I work for a great company. Everything that used to bother me is just so small now."