For more than a decade, Lill and Herchel Johnson have worked to raise funds for cystic fibrosis research. On Nov. 7 that tradition continues with “Catfish for a Cure.”
“We’ve been doing benefits for CF for 15 years now,” Lill Johnson said. “We’ve done everything from small fundraisers to big events at the Columbia Water Park. Since we’ve been doing it, we’ve raised more than $112,000.”
“Catfish for a Cure” is set for Tuesday, Nov. 7 at Kane’s Catfish, Seafood and Steakhouse located on Mississippi 35 South in Foxworth. The event is dine in or carryout and will begin at 4:30 p.m. and conclude at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are available at Kane’s or the Internal Medicine Group of Columbia.
For the Johnsons, their learning experience with CF began 13 weeks after their son, Brycen, now a senior at West Marion High School, was born. Cystic fibrosis was considered a death sentence just a few decades ago. Lill Johnson said her family has faced difficult times since then, but he continues to fight.
“When Brycen was diagnosed, we were told at that point that the average lifespan would be 30 years,” she said. “Treatment has come a long way and to keep taking those steps, we’ve got to keep pushing the fundraising to keep new research going. It was overwhelming when our son was diagnosed. We have never heard of CF. We were devastated. As we learned about it, we made a commitment that we were going to do whatever we could to raise funds for research.”
The funds raised over the years have gone to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Brycen Johnson has benefited from recent advances.
“There was a huge breakthrough recently,” Lill Johnson said. “There was a new medicine developed. He has been on it for about two years now and we’ve seen significant improvement. He’s living proof that the research works. Brycen is doing well. The FDA approved these new medicines about two years ago and we’ve seen a lot of improvement, it was a huge milestone, and he’s continuing to do well in his senior year. There are several other drugs in clinical trials now and all of money raised will continue to go toward making these breakthroughs.”
Lill Johnson said she knows many others have been affected by the genetic disease, but many people do not know about CF.
“There are people in the county that are aware of CF, but a lot are not,” she said. “Our goal is to spread awareness. Last year, we not only made people aware of it, but we raised right at $6,000. ‘Catfish for a Cure’ grew and we hope it continues to get bigger. I know of at least four others in Marion County. It’s special to us because of Brycen, but it’s not just about him – there are a lot of others.”
Lill Johnson said Brycen continues to have struggles, but has done well.
“God has blessed us,” she said. “To look at Brycen, you would never know. He’s up every day at 6 a.m. doing continuous treatments. But to look at him, you never know that he was sick. He plays baseball, hunts and fishes and continues to live a normal life. We encourage him to live life to the fullest.”
Lill Johnson said she’s hopeful for a large crowd at this year’s event. Advance tickets are available at Kane’s or at the Internal Medicine Clinic in Columbia for $12.
“We had a huge crowd last year, they were lined up down the hill at Kane’s” she concluded. “We’re selling presale tickets, but we will have a few extra plates. We’re so thankful to Kane’s and to all of those people who supported us. It is truly a blessing.”
