Meet the 2020 Scholars

"What do you believe is the greatest unaddressed patient need in the CF community, and if you could, how would you try to fix it? Who would you partner with (e.g. public figure, organization) to help fix the issue and why?"

Living with Cystic Fibrosis comes with many medical challenges, and fighting chronic lung infections have been my biggest hurdle. These infections have affected me mentally and physically, especially when the antibiotics are resistant to my body. Holding onto hope is my salvation that one day I will become healthier by taking the antibiotics as instructed. Research indicates people with CF are more prone to getting difficult-to-treat infections. For this reason, I believe new antibiotics need to be developed to fight off the germs that rule our bodies. Whether it is oral, inhaled, or intravenous antibiotics, this matter needs to be addressed. The obstacles people with respiratory infections face should be a driving force to create new drugs. A decrease in lung function, weight loss, and persistent coughs are only a fraction of the challenges we experience—this is our lives, but more specifically, it is a huge concern. To make my voice heard, I will partner with local universities by hosting seminars. Partnering with universities will allow me to educate students and faculty members about CF and why the need for new antibiotics is a necessity. I plan to influence others to email the Congressional Cystic Fibrosis Caucus—an organization that supports drug discovery. Collaborating with universities will bring about awareness and will encourage others to become the voice the CF community needs. Every message sent to this organization could help. If action is brought to developing new medications, people with CF could live healthier and longer lives.