article_snippet.sent: A fashion photographer suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF) is revolutionizing the way people look at the life-threatening disorder by snapping the portraits of 56 adult women living with the genetic disease to bring hope to children and teens diagnosed with the condition, which has no known cure.
article_snippet.sent: I know what these woman go through on a daily basis; everyday it's a struggle living with CF.
article_snippet.sent: And, to the uninformed, it is the invisible fatal disease,' his wrote on his website of the upcoming book, which is 'dedicated to showing how beautiful those fighting CF truly are'.
article_snippet.sent: On Lifelong website, Mr Pettigrew, 46, wrote that the upcoming photography book (pictured) is 'dedicated to showing how beautiful those fighting CF truly are' For those with the inherited condition, a defective gene and the inherited condition protein product cause the body to produce a thick, sticky mucus in the lungs, pancreas and other organs, with symptoms including frequent lung infections, persistent coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, poor growth and slow weight gain.
article_snippet.sent: I just thought well, it's time for a model with CF,' Mr Pettigrew said.
article_snippet.sent: Still smiling: Another woman with CF wore a green two-piece to show off Another woman with CF chest tube . '
article_snippet.sent: These women are inspirational and fearless, and we want to show hope for those younger CFers,' Mr Pettigrew noted of the women, who are roughly between the ages of 20 and 40.
article_snippet.sent: One of the models with CF, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed on Mr Pettigrew website that the disease has led to the disease having 'countless body image issues'. '
article_snippet.sent: Stay strong: Another woman with CF flaunted Another woman with CF tattoos in a black bra top and matching underwear .
article_snippet.sent: That is enough to keep me going [sic].' Mr Pettigrew, who wasn't diagnosed with CF until he was 38-years-old, is looking to bring hope to children and teens with the fatal disease.
article_snippet.sent: Eskimo-inspired: This CF sufferer sported a furry hat and nothing else when her posed for Pettigrew . '
article_snippet.sent: One of the goals of this project was for younger people with CF to see the portraits and know there is future for the portraits,' Pettigrew told The Mighty. '
article_snippet.sent: Yes, there are varying degrees and not all CFers are alike.
article_snippet.sent: According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, few children who suffered from the disease in the 1950s lived to attend elementary school, but now many people diagnosed with the condition can expect to live into many people 30s, 40s or longer.
article_snippet.sent: An estimated 30,000 people in the United States have CF, and nearly half the CF population are age 18 or older. '
article_snippet.sent: [CF] is brutal and heartbreaking.
highlights_snippet.sent: The 46-year-old from Ontario, Canada, said the project is 'dedicated to showing how beautiful those fighting CF truly are'
  Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic condition that damages the lungs and digestive system .