Cystic fibrosis is a disease that many just don't know about, including one Central New York couple until it found them, leaving their 3-year-old boy battling it everyday. As Brian Dwyer reports, the Pulaski community and a Grammy-award winning star are joining the fight -- teaming up with young Declan.

WATERTOWN, N.Y. -- Whether it's his sweet tooth or his toys, 3-year-old Declan Bellinger has a spirit that brings smiles.

"He loves Mickey Mouse," His mother Melissa said. "He likes watching his shows. He likes playing with all of his cars. He lines all of his cars all over the TV. He's got a little bit of an attitude."

But from the outside looking in, you'd never know how strong that spirit really is. For 30 minutes every day Declan wears a compression vest and is attached to a nubulizer taking PULMOZYME to help him breathe

After his newborn screening, at just 3 months old, Declan's parents got a call. He carried a gene for cystic fibrosis.

"I immediately started crying. But they also told me not to panic because they don't really think he has it," Melissa said.

But further testing, showed otherwise.

"It's definitely a life changing moment when you hear the words and they bring you into the room and they tell you that your child has cystic fibrosis, which is a cronic disease," Declan's father, Mike, said. "There's a life expectancy of around 37-41 [years]."

"I ran out of the room when they told us. I literally ran out and left. I couldn't deal with it right away," Melissa said. "Then my main focus was just treating him. What do I have to do to help him?"

From the stage of mourning to the will to fight, the Bellingers with no knowledge of the disease, now lived it.

Treatments started with someone basically hammering Declan's chest each day with their hands or a rubber device to help break up mucus that was collecting in his lungs. The Bellingers did everything they could until Declan got big enough to wear his vest. He still has to take vitamins, medicines, enzymes and eat extra calories to keep up his weight.

"It's pretty amazing watching him, from a baby to doing the treatments that he does. The sticky mucus in the lungs can harbor bacteria that everyday me and you breathe in, can become deadly for him," Mike said.

The Bellingers didn't stop there though. They took the fight to the streets. Team Declan takes part in various walks and other events throughout Central New York raising awareness and money to fight a disease that affects only about 30,000 people in the U.S. 

"To get people, they see him, they, if they know what it is, they may want to help him. They may want to donate." Melissa said.

"Without our family and friends helping us along this journey, I think it would be a lot harder," Mike said.  

One of the biggest Team Declan events is set for next Friday at the Kallet Theater in Pulaski. Grammy winner Marc Cohn will be performing, and proceeds benefit Team Declan and the fight against cystic fibrosis.

"We know about it, but now we have to get that word out to everybody else, so everybody else knows about it too," Mike said.

Because then maybe one day CF will stand for something else: cure found.

Declan has recently had to start taking antibiotics to stop swelling in his lungs.

For more information on Declan's fight and to find tickets to the benefit Marc Cohn concert for Team Declan, visit www.kallettheatre.com.