Looking at Ethan, and talking with him, you wouldn’t know he spends hours of his day
managing his medical condition. Google
Cystic Fibrosis and this is what it tells you: “Cystic fibrosis is a disease
passed down through families that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the
lungs, digestive tract, and other areas of the body. It is one of the most
common chronic lung diseases in children and young adults. It is a
life-threatening disorder.” Treatment involves a strict routine of nebulizers
and medications to keep the symptoms at bay.
Ethan says he hasn’t let that stop him from doing what he
wants to do, well, it did keep him from playing football, there was too much
risk of dehydration. “I played soccer, and swam in high school, and was good at
it. I’m pretty happy with my life right now. I don’t get disappointed or
depressed, really about anything. Sometimes I think it would be nice to not
have to worry about going off camping somewhere and not worry about waking up
and having to feel better. But I have been able to go camping.”
He says he has inhalers that work really well for him, but
the nebulizer needs electricity, which makes it challenging to go backpacking.
Ethan does have advice for parents whose child is diagnosed
with CF: “My parents never really discouraged me from doing anything… if I had
a kid with CF I would let him do what he wants to do and find a way for him to
be happy. That’s mainly it.”
He says the logistics of managing CF are always in the back
of his mind, but he doesn’t let it keep him from having fun with friends and
pursuing the things he wants to do. “It’s time consuming.” He says if he stays
with friends he takes a backpack full of his medications and nebulizer, but he
still goes and has fun. “always in the
back of my head I have to think about my treatments and medicines.”
He also plays on the club water polo team at UT, noting that
exercise is very important to help keep his lungs clear. He says lifeguarding
has been a good job for him, they have mandatory workouts where they might have
to run 3 miles or swim as far. He says Galveston Bay is fairly calm, but they
do have to keep swimmers away from the jetties and the sea wall.
To learn more about Ethan, listen to our interview!
