Ariel S.'s Essay

After seventeen years of living with Cystic Fibrosis, I was admitted to the hospital for the first time this past August. Even after I was discharged, many doctors were amazed that this was my very first hospitalization. This experience has inspired me to continue to change the mold that is currently set for Cystic Fibrosis patients. Living with CF has taught me to never settle on average, not only with my disease, but with my life.

Despite the statistics, I whole-heartedly believe that I will surpass the average life expectancy with flying colors. My success with this disease is said to have broken barriers, and because of this, I am very proud of myself. I hope that one day I will break even more barriers, hopefully increasing the life expectancy of CF patients. Though I may not have seen my last hospital room, I am determined not to let my disease hold me back in life. I try to portray these same motivations and goals throughout my personal life. In the classroom, I refuse to settle for average classes and average grades. Instead, I work hard to be placed in advanced classes and excel in them. I dream that after another four years of education, I will graduate from college, knowing that I have never let Cystic Fibrosis get the best of me, by excelling at everything I put my heart into.