Welcome to The Salty Wick, a candle company with a cause. My name is Amy Rodriguez. I am a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a nurse, a business owner, and I have Cystic Fibrosis.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disease found in about 30,000 people in the U.S. For years, a diagnosis was life threatening for those affected. In fact, most patients weren’t fortunate to live into early adulthood. Until recently, however, new research and development has changed this and made it possible for many patients to live well into adulthood. Although the advancement of new medications and treatments has made this possible for many patients with CF, there is still much more work to be done.

CF is often referred to as a respiratory illness. In actuality, CF is a whole body disease that creates challenges ranging from difficulty breathing, frequent lung infections, malnourishment, liver disease, diabetes, pancreatic insufficiency, infertility, arthritis, and others. CF is caused by a mutation of the CFTR gene. This mutation does not allow salt to move normally through the cells lining the sweat duct and results in an excess of salty sweat. Interestingly, people with CF often have 2-5 times the normal amount of salt in their sweat. Parents who kiss their babies and notice a salty taste are often given a clue about CF even before a diagnosis. Children and adults with CF will often have a visible layer of salt on their skin after exercising or spending time in the outdoor heat.

When I first decided to create a candle business, the name Wick was a natural choice given that my maiden name was Amy Wick. My dad would even tease me by saying he wanted my first name to be Candle. Ironically enough, The Salty Wick came to be.

Thank you for joining our candle community. Together, we can add tomorrows.