Life with CF
by Stephanie Elgin
The doctors told her parents she wouldn’t live to see her teenage years, and yet she just put the 24th candle on her birthday cake, graduated from college and is headed to grad school. She is an amazing person, with a passion for life and a drive to help others.
Kristina de Bree was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at six weeks old as a result of failure to thrive. This didn’t stop her parents, Jim and Teresa, from allowing Kristina to have as normal of a life as possible. “They maintained normal expectations for me,” states Kristina. “They always assumed I would go to college. They never allowed me to think that I was too sick to do anything.”
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease affecting the lungs and digestive system. Something as simple as catching a cold can be very dangerous for someone with CF, almost always resulting in hospitalization. “Imagine living with a lung infection everyday. The only way to handle these infections is through antibiotics because infections are so severe that the body cannot naturally fight them off,” states Kristina. Lung infection is the number one cause of death in CF patients. The current life expectancy for a patient with CF is 37 years old.
“Having CF is often lonely, exhausting, and overwhelming. Although CF is a terminal illness, it is also a chronic illness. I spend three to four hours a day doing treatments, just to maintain the status quo, and people often lack understanding of the severity of my situation.” Kristina has developed diabetes from pancreatic damage due to CF, and also has kidney and liver damage as a result of all the antibiotics taken to fight off lung infections.
Despite the demands that come with having CF, Kristina still finds a way to stay positive. “There is a silver lining in all of this. CF has provided me with a unique perspective to life. I always believed God gave me my CF because He knew I was extra special. Through my CF, He taught me compassion and the importance of being joyful despite times of trial. Sometimes, the only way I could manage to live with this disease was the belief that because of my struggles, I could help others overcome their struggles.”
Kristina continues to be a part of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and their efforts to help find a cure. “When I was 15, I asked my mother why there wasn’t a CF walk for the Santa Clarita Valley. I called the Foundation and as a result, we started the first walk that year. With more than 90 cents out of every dollar going directly to programs for CF, the Foundation is incredibly efficient in making sure its money is well spent,” states Kristina.
Kristina graduated from Cal State Northridge, double majoring in Marketing and Business Administration with an emphasis in Business Honors and a minor in Psychology and was recently accepted to Pepperdine, where she plans on getting her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology. “I am fascinated behind what factors motivate individuals. I want to help people develop a strong sense of self and help them find ways to motivate themselves to accomplish the impossible. I want to help people believe in themselves even when the world is against them. I find that most people have just an ember glowing inside of their soul. I hope to be the fuel that lights the fire to ignite passion and drive.”
If you want to help, please visit www.cff.org/great_strides/kristinadebree and donate. To learn more about Kristina’s life with CF, visit www.cfstinabug.blogspot.com.
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Taking Steps to Cure Cystic Fibrosis
Westfield’s Valencia Town Center
April 24, 2010
Registration at 8:30 a.m. and
walk at 9:30 a.m.
Come join the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, as they will be Taking Steps To Cure Cystic Fibrosis at the annual GREAT STRIDES event. Join a team, form a team, donate and walk, and be a part of the largest national fundraising event for the Foundation. Last year’s event raised approximately $60,000 and this year they are looking to raise even more. Participants of all ages are encouraged to collect donations to help support life-saving CF research and care. Please call 661-313-3561 for more info.
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