Where to begin? The day began sunny and turned cloudy by evening. Usual Saturday chores occurred and after supper I headed out to an '80s concert to raise money for a local arts program. While there we chatted with many people. One told me that two weeks ago a former colleague and friend had died. She had cystic fibrosis and this past year had been exceptionally difficult for her. This disease affects the digestive system and lungs primarily with potential to cause other organ failures. She was 37. In Canada, life expectancy is close to 50 years and it is about 40 years in the US -- reasons for the difference involve transplantation rates, health care coverage and diet.
Her life involved many days in hospital and at medical clinics, yet she did so much more. She completed an undergraduate and a masters degree in nutrition and dietetics. She worked in several university departments in two locales. She took the most amazing photographs. Her strong organizational skills were enhanced by her creativity. She loved to grow plants -- flowers and vegetables. She did all of this while living with a chronic disease that she knew would truncate her life. That alone took great strength and courage. Just two weeks before she died, she married her best friend in a ceremony at the hospital chapel. She looked wonderful in those last photos.
One aspect of her life involved tireless advocacy and awareness building around CF. She wanted people to know what it was and that research was needed to find a cure. She also was an advocate of organ donation, since heart and lung transplants are more common with CF treatment. This is not a cure, but can extend the life of some people. When I began my career, dietary interventions were changing that helped improve energy and nutrient uptake. Higher fat diets were used by Dr. Crozier at The Hospital for Sick Children in the 1970s. This along with better treatment modalities extended life expectancy considerably -- from the mid- to late-teens into adulthood. But there is still a long way to go.
The song I share tonight is for her. The video is specific to CF and the lyrics describe my friend's life well. Enjoy!
NOTE: This is a video from the US. In Canada, use the URL https://www.cysticfibrosis.ca/
I Lived -- OneDirection
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