Ilene H.'s Essay

Living with CF has taught me that anything is possible, with some creativity. Early in life, my parents instilled in me the value of not ever using the word “can’t.” Time and time again they encouraged me to not allow CF to prohibit me from realizing my dreams. I took this advice seriously. With few exceptions, I have accomplished the goals I sought after, but living with CF has meant needing to find creative ways to that end. As a youngster, I dreamt of attending sleep away camp, but it didn’t seem possible with my complex medical needs. I proved I could do it, with golf cart rides to the infirmary twice daily for treatments. As a teenager, when I was invited to join a prestigious summer student ambassador program in the South Pacific, I couldn’t stop thinking about traveling the world. The logistics of my regiment made it challenging, but I demonstrated, once again, that with the right suitcase and electrical adapters, it was feasible. At 18, I wouldn’t accept anything less than going away to college like my friends. It required more planning than the average freshman, but I too had a dorm room and near-typical college experience. And so the story goes. Throughout my lifetime, there have been countless examples of breaking down barriers that CF has placed before me. CF has taught me to plan creatively, but also to be flexible because the only certainty about living with CF is that life is sure to be unpredictable.