Fundación Respiralia contra la Fibrosis Quística

When an unknown disease becomes part of the life of a family, everything changes. Unanswered questions emerge, feelings of powerlessness demonstrate and family life focuses completely on the affected person. On Apri 22, 1989, a group of parents decided to join forces in the search for answers and treatments to this unknown disease called cystic fibrosis, and the Balearic Association of Cystic Fibrosis, with Catherine Baspeyras as the first Chairwoman, was born. Its main goals were to solve their doubts, deepen in the understanding of the disease and, eventually, find effective treatments to improve the quality of life of those affected.

Since then the Association gave support to doctors so they could attend to Symposia on CF, and several Medical Conferences and events were organized. Meanwhile the Association members were increasing.
It was 1996 when Pere Galiana joined the Association as physiotherapist in order to complement the Spanish Public Health in what the Association considered one of the most important aspects of the CF treatment: the respiratory physiotherapy.

The year 2000 marked a major change. The Association ensured that the neonatal heel-prick test became established through the Balearic Public Health. Our region was the third Spanish community to implement this test, and since then we know if a child has CF from birth. Moreover, the same year Pere Galiana successfully completed the first Swimming Tour around Formentera against CF. Thanks to this event, and through the participation of foreign teams, the Association became known throughout Europe.

In 2003 Respiralia’s denomination was created to include all those social and sports events organized by the Association for the divulgation of the disease. That year we celebrated the 4th edition of the Swimming Tour and received a visit from the whole government head team of the Balearic Community.

In 2004, the Association also achieved something very important: the compressor used for CF people to nebulise antibiotics and medicaments was changed. We were the first Spanish region to have the new device (E-flow Rapid) totally free, and the quality of life of our CF kids improved substantially. That same year, the Meseta Mermaids team, with Juan José Fernández as head of the team, participated for the first time in the Swimming Tour, and that opened the event to USA and allowed the recognition of our Association by the Charity Aid Foundation of America as an entity worthy of receiving funds from American citizens.

Since then, the Association has devoted all its efforts to improve the basic services for the treatment of the disease: increasing the number of sessions provided to the CF interested ones, creating other services such as “Physio Complement” and specific physical activity. It also has promoted Respiralia’s effect up to a record number of swimmers, with 219 participants of the whole world in the Swimming Tour.

In 2006 the Balearic Association of Cystic Fibrosis and the Official College of Physiotherapists of Balearics founded the Respiralia Foundation, promoting a new concept of integral treatment of the cystic fibrosis. Since then, both entities work together to improve the quality of life of the persons with cystic fibrosis.

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• Bylaws
• Services for children with Cystic Fibrosis and their families
• Financial information
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