In all his years as a quarterback, Boomer Esiason had never been hit so hard. The news on that May 1993 day came like a blindside tackle. Esiason's son, Gunnar, then just two years old, had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that clogs the airways and claims half of its victims by age 31. Boomer and his wife, Cheryl, were crushed.

"Gunnar was sleeping in a hospital bed with IV antibiotics in his arm and oxygen tubes up his nose," says Esiason, the 1988 NFL MVP who now is an ABC football commentator. "It was the most devastating day of my life. I cried like a baby for about a half hour. So many thoughts go through your head; some make sense and some don't."

One particular idea made sense-and, eventually, millions of dollars: The Boomer Esiason Foundation would dedicate itself to increasing awareness about CF and raising money to help find a cure.

"My own quest is to find extraordinary people who can do extraordinary things," Esiason says. "I want people who can knock down walls, leap big hurdles and get the job done-raise as much money as we can."

The foundation has just three employees, but with volunteers knocking down walls it has raised more than $4 million, most of the money going to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and research hospitals. In addition to lining up sponsors for fund-raisers such as a golf tournament and a high school all-star football game, Esiason will do whatever's needed to generate cash, from writing a children's book to selling barbecue sauce.

Money is one part of the mission, information another. The foundation's Web site (www.Esiason.org) is a vast resource for CF patients and families. Boomer and Gunnar made an educational video, and Esiason went to Capitol Hill in 1994, speaking at a Senate hearing on behalf of the 30,000 CF patients in the U.S.

"Boomer has opened the eyes of the public about CF," says Dave Rimington, his foundation president and former Bengals teammate. "Sometimes, people don't follow through. Boomer has. He wants to see his son cured."

Gunnar isn't cured, but diligent treatment keeps him active, working on his computer, even playing hockey. Each day, the eight-year-old lies on a sloped board while his mom or dad thumps his back and chest to break up mucus in his lungs. He takes drugs to thin the mucus and fight dangerous lung infections.

Several other drugs are in clinical trials. Of greater promise may be gene therapy, in which healthy cells replace defective ones. Researchers believe the cure is within reach.

But being close isn't good enough for Esiason. "I don't want Gunnar just to live to his 31st birthday, I want him to live until he's 75, at least," says Esiason, 38. "I want him, and those like him, to be able to run and play uninhibited."

When that day comes, both Boomer and Gunnar will be breathing easier.

The Boomer Esiason Foundation
One World Trade Center 101st Floor New York, NY 10048
1-800-789-4376 esiason.org
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