Jon Whitbred joins the podcast this week. He is 36 years old living with cystic fibrosis, married, works a full time job and is the father of 3 boys. Infertility is common among men with CF, so Jon takes us through his journey with in-vitro fertilization (IVF). He points out that the part men play in the IVF path to pregnancy is small compared to a woman’s role, but is necessary when cystic fibrosis is part of the equation.

Jon talks about the importance of setting a routine and balancing life as a cystic fibrosis patient and father, which includes coaching his kids’ baseball team and traveling across the state for his job. He mentions that his support system is invaluable and that often times he has to lean on extended family for help managing the demanding lifestyle. Finally, Jon touches on his love of fitness and how he thinks his activity level has allowed him to have such great health for much of his life.