Our Inspiration
2019:
My name is Maggie and I’m in my Senior year of high school, I have learned it is very important to go with the flow.
For any normal student, it’s hard enough to graduate with their sanity still intact. For me, as I am sure for other students with medical problems, it becomes a greater challenge to manage life with the additional challenges. I know for me, with my Cystic Fibrosis, there is an additional hour and a half in my day that I dedicate to lung treatments and taking care of myself. (I don’t usually complain though, seeing as I get to watch TV during part of my treatments) It all becomes an additional thing that I have to schedule into my day, along with all the rest of “normal life”.
I use the term “normal life” loosely here for one reason; this is my normal life. I have lived with this genetic disease since I was brought into this world and therefore don’t see my schedule as anything out of the ordinary. You learn to do what needs to be done to live a happy healthy life, like anybody else does. Although, sometimes, it is difficult to make sure all the medications are taken everyday, that we have all the medication we need, and my medical equipment is sanitized and ready to go. This is especially challenging when I have to wake up early and I have a busy “normal” schedule.
For me, my daily routine starts out with a high calorie breakfast, medication and vitamins at 5:30 a.m. on the weekdays, and I love the weekends because my days don’t usually start till 11:00 a.m.! Then to drivers education and school, where I must remember my medication every time I eat something. It is part of my normal. Some days it can be weird, popping pills in the middle of high school. I sometimes get worried that someone will think I’m doing something illegal! Then, I get to walk home from the bus stop at 3:00 p.m. and relax with that hour of Nebulized medication and my shaky vest lung therapy. Then, it’s on to homework, evening sports, dinner, and night time medication and vitamins to end my day. Sometimes I’ll go to bed at nine and fall asleep soon after, then other nights, I can’t go to sleep till late because of coughing or because of my normal teenage body/mind just can’t sleep.
I know that this sounds like a familiar schedule to some people; get up, go to school, do homework, eat during the day, that’s what we all do. Someday, That’s all I would like to be able to do. With the money from this race, all the proceeds will go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to help them find a cure and improved treatments for the genetic disease that makes my life challenging, concerning, and sometimes frustrating.
Cystic Fibrosis affects the lungs and digestive system as thick mucus builds up over time, damaging important organs, and causing infections. As of 2019, the average lifespan of someone with Cystic Fibrosis is 40. All of us want to live longer than that! All of us with Cystic Fibrosis are planning on living longer than that! We plan on college, careers, families, travel, and other dreams come true!
With your financial donation, with this Bowlakedam15k5k annual race, and other fundraisers like it, the CURE and advanced treatments will allow us to live longer and healthy lives. I have a lot of hope for a future that does not involve CF! Thank you for running with us! Thank you for donations! Thank you for believing in research! Thank you for believing in people like me! I am worth your effort! :)
