Mariah Caise

Treasurer

My name is Mariah Caise and I am currently 28 years old. I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at four months old; my parents were stunned because to our knowledge, nobody else in our family has CF. Additionally, as an African American, it’s very rare to be diagnosed with this disease. I am currently an accountant and graduated with a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Michigan. I was born and raised in New Jersey, where I currently reside.

Thanks to my CF, specifically multiple rounds of tobramycin, I have lost my hearing and am now considered deaf. I had a cochlear implant for my left ear in 2017 after complete hearing loss. My right ear currently has 50% hearing loss. I have served on several committees within the CF community, including BreatheCon and the Cystic Fibrosis Reproductive and Sexual Health Collaborative. Both were eye-opening experiences that furthered my passion for the advocacy of this disease.

When I am not crunching numbers, you will probably find me at the bowling alley. I’m an avid bowler and it has become a great pastime and stress reliever of mine. I chose bowling because I wanted to accommodate the scarring in my lungs—I wanted to do a sport that didn’t involve too much cardio but one that allowed me to remain active. I also love to read various books of all genres. Getting lost in the character’s worlds is a great distraction from real life and very amusing.

I am a dog lover so wherever I go my dog will most likely not be far behind. I have a long-haired dachshund (the hot dog) who thinks he owns the house and is protecting me from the squirrels. If you don’t see him, you’ll hear him. In addition to my ferocious little dog, I also own a pet rabbit. She’s a sassy one, but she keeps me company at night. She and my dog have made quite the brother and sister companionship.