This piece of art depicts hands unable to touch but connected through a vine of roses. People with cystic fibrosis are not allowed to touch or be within 6 feet of each other due to fear of cross infection of certain bacterias – as a result, our relationships are mostly virtual. Most of us have never met face to face, but the thing that bonds us are the roses that represent cystic fibrosis. Some of my most important and deepest relationships are with people with CF. We understand the tribulations and great triumphs we have been through, that no one else would quite understand. It’s an unspoken bond that creates the CF community, and has helped to shape and mold some of the strongest and most authentic people I have ever (not physically) met.  We aren’t just individuals each living with cystic fibrosis, we have become instant family.

Rosie Raabe is 31 years old and was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was three.  Rosie graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2015 with a degree in Jewelry Design. She received a liver transplant from her brother in 2017 and took a couple years off from working to heal from transplant and was able to get healthy thanks to Trikafta. Rosie started her own art business called ArtSeaRosie in 2020, selling watercolor prints and custom pet portraits on Etsy.