Rose Logue, known to fans as Rose Harting until 2008, has won the hearts of many through her magnetic stage presence and her deeply soulful rendering of pop and R&B melodies from a petite 5-foot-6-inch frame. A native of Sonoma County, Logue has been singing and performing since childhood, most recently with the eponymous band she formed in 2007. Logue's spark has even graced the stages of Paris, France, where she lived and performed for several months in 2008. With her signature sparkly smile and untamable upbeat energy bursting from her, it is difficult to comprehend that Logue, nearly 34, suffers from cystic fibrosis (CF).

To date, there is no cure for CF, a life-threatening genetic disease that affects mucus levels in the lungs and pancreas, causing chronic infections and difficulty breathing. According to the National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the average life expectancy has increased slightly over the years to age 37, up from age 32 in 2000. With often grim statistics about battling CF, Logue continues to beat the odds and is one of many who depends on medications, air-clearance techniques and proper nutrition to maintain quality of life.

Diagnosed as a child, Logue is no stranger to the various complications and health issues that arise, and recently spent several days in a Santa Rosa hospital. "It is a part of living with the disease," Logue says, refusing to let it hinder her positive attitude. She instead focuses energy on family and friends, music, a fairy-tale romance with her long-lost high school sweetheart, David Martini, and, of course, finding a cure for the disease.

Until now, Logue's disease-curing efforts for CF organizations have concentrated primarily on fundraising through her musical contributions (she has participated in Detroit's Rock CF concert and recorded on an album for the Seattle CF Foundation, among others). This year, though, Logue has stepped it up a notch, aiming to kick CF to the curb by training for a half marathon to benefit 65 Roses, a CF charity that pays for research projects, medications and other treatments for those living with the disease.

"I am running those 13.1 miles to raise money for people with CF," Logue says. "But also to celebrate and be grateful for having the health that allows me to still do this. Having CF reminds you to live!"

The 65 Roses marathon takes place on Sunday, Jan. 31, in Miami, Fla. Donations can be made at www.firstgiving.com/roselogue.

Send a letter to the editor about this story.