Isaac Andrews lights up every room he enters. Born in Minnesota and diagnosed with cystinosis at just eleven months old (March 2016), Isaac has faced more hurdles than many of us will meet in a lifetime—yet you’d never guess it from his quick wit, infectious laughter, and love of storytelling. Thanks to a strict treatment regimen—six-hour alarms reminding him to take his medications—and his family’s unwavering support, Isaac has turned each challenge into a triumph.

In November 2021, family and friends rallied around Isaac at a benefit event, raising $20,000 for the Cystinosis Research Foundation. Their generosity fueled both hope and ongoing research, and Isaac’s family plans to host more events and donations in the years ahead. In 2022, Isaac underwent bilateral distal femoral growth-modulation surgery to help straighten and strengthen his legs, and by early 2024, his pins were removed—proof that perseverance and expert care can work wonders.

When he’s not keeping up with medications or doctor’s appointments, Isaac is happiest outdoors: fishing Minnesota’s lake country, hunting shed antlers and morel mushrooms with his dad, swimming, and playing with his cousins. He refuses to be defined by Cystinosis, believing instead that no barrier is too great.

The Andrews family—Dana, Ben, his sister Isley, and Isaac—are endlessly grateful to CRF and the broader Cystinosis community for turning isolation into solidarity and for bringing us ever closer to a cure. Thank you for joining us on Isaac’s journey.

The Andrews Family
Dana, Ben, Isaac, and Isley