Hey ya’ll! My name is Sydna Marshall. I’m 44 years old and was diagnosed with CF at 11 when my adenoids were removed due to continual sinus and allergy problems. I am born and bred in Austin, Texas. I earned my bachelor’s degree in biology from The University of Texas at Austin, in December 2001. For the last 20 years, I worked in various capacities, including Legal Secretary and Marketing Assistant, for a boutique civil litigation law firm in downtown Austin. I stepped away from my full-time job in 2017 for health reasons. In addition to CF, I’m also managing Graves disease, osteopenia and chronic sinusitis. I should be crowned the queen of CF sinus complications as I’ve had five-plus sinus surgeries, including a frontal obliteration.

I discovered yoga two decades ago when I first read an article that Hatha yoga practiced two to three times weekly can increase breathing capacity by 70 percent. My practice has ebbed and flowed over the last twenty years due to hospitalizations and surgeries; however, the breath work, self-acceptance, and self-awareness inherent in any yoga practice have been life-saving tools in handling the many CF challenges I've encountered with resilience and grace.

I endeavor to find the silver lining with each obstacle life and CF throws at me, with the hopes that younger people with CF will discover that CF doesn’t have to define you as a person. Volunteering my time as both President and Managing Editor for USACFA has been a true joy. I love that I can give back to the CF community and I'm deeply proud of the talented and small (but mighty) board of directors I have the privilege of working with daily. 

I met and married my best friend and love of my life, Adam, while working at the law office together. We've been together for 17 years and married for almost 11 years. Our two kids have four paws and fur. We have one feisty pitbull-mix puppy named Mickey and one sweet, affectionate Labrador retriever named Cutty. Music is a huge part of our lives together and we love the variety of live music around Austin and the surrounding hill country.

 

I love walking my furbabies and sharing pictures of the gorgeous flowers along the way. I'm an avid reader—books will always nourish my soul. I love piecing together jigsaw puzzles and I’ve yet to meet an indie coffee shop or bookstore that I didn’t adore from the moment I stepped inside. When I'm not reading, working on a puzzle, or on my yoga mat, you can find me in the kitchen, experimenting with new recipes and whipping up culinary masterpieces.