Allison C.'s Essay

Living with CF has taught me…that life is truly a precious gift and should not be squandered. That just because you are different does not mean that you cannot achieve your dreams. It has taught me to really appreciate certain things like my lungs and having good lung function. Some days having CF can be a real downer and I just wish that I was normal but then I realize that, that is a very unrealistic wish and that it is my duty to show the world that I can make it even if I am not “normal.” One could say that having CF has taught me how to have patience, faith, and courage. It definitely has taught me to believe in myself even when it seems the task is impossible. Having a disease makes you see and feel things in a different way because you are closer to death than the average human being because of this, it has taught me to understand, to listen, and to accept certain things. But on the downside it has taught me that people will always see you differently no matter what and that hospitals cause mountains of emotional damage and stress. For people like me, with CF, the future is going to be rougher than someone who is normal. I am going to have to exercise an immense amount of responsibility in order to take care of myself in college and beyond. I think that as long as I hold onto that spark of belief I can do it. Then I will show everyone that I was able to do it.