Doug and Donna Summerhayes will celebrate on Thursday a 60-year journey that has helped the lives of thousands.

Married for 67 years, the Brantford couple founded what is now known as Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

“It has been 60 years since we brought just over 100 parents together for a meeting at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto to figure out what to do about cystic fibrosis,” Doug recalled. “It is really quite remarkable to see the new treatments and the research that has been done since then.

“The progress that has been made is incredible and we feel really blessed to have lived long enough to see it all happen.”

Previously known as the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Association, the organization is a national charitable not-for-profit corporation that has invested more than $258 million into research and care since 1960.

A fatal genetic disease, CF causes problems with digesting fats and proteins. Chronic lung infections lead to breakdown of the lungs, eventually causing the death of people afflicted with CF.

Across Canada, more than 4,300 children, adolescents and adults with CF attend specialized clinics, according to CF Canada, which is supported by numerous volunteers and fundraising efforts, including Shinerama, an event that involves thousands of post-secondary students across Canada.

Doug and Donna were moved to action when their daughter, Pam, was diagnosed with CF when she was a toddler.

“I can remember the doctor telling us that we should just take her home and keep her comfortable,” Doug said. “He told us that she probably wouldn’t live long enough to go to school.

“That’s the way it was back then.”

Pam, with the support of her parents, defied the odds. She became an early childhood educator and opened Three Bears Nursery School in Brantford. She was 26 when she died in 1980.

Pam’s brother, Jeff, was also diagnosed with the disease. Now 57, he is recovering from a double-lung transplant last September.

In fact, many people diagnosed with CF are now living well into their 50s and 60s.

In 1987, Donna was named to the Order of Canada for her work in establishing the foundation, while Doug received the same honour a year later. The Order of Canada was established in 1967 to recognize citizens for their contributions to the country and to particular fields.

While Thursday will mark a milestone for the couple, there won’t be a big celebration to mark the occasion.

“We’re both well into our 80s now so it will be pretty low-key,” Doug said. “We’ll sit back, reflect on the progress made over the last 60 years and feel blessed.

“It really has been quite a journey.”

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