Kaitie wrote this for her high school newspaper:

The Secret Life of a Dying Teenager
by Kaitie Gallagher

If someone were to tell you they had a terminal illness, would you believe them? Most people don’t at first. I have to convince everyone I tell. Yes, it’s true, I am going to die. So are you. Everybody dies; I just have a better idea of how and when. Usually, when people say things like “that’s horrible” and “I’m so sorry” I say something like “yeah, it’s pretty great.” Great? What could be great about having a terminal illness? True, the disease itself sucks, but that doesn’t mean my life does.

I have a genetic disease (I was born with it) called Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Basically, this makes the mucus (that everybody has) really thick and sticky. That means that when I get sick, the germs catch in the mucus and get stuck. Some people think I’m super germ conscious because it’s easier for me to get sick, but that’s not the case. It’s not easier for me to get sick, but once I am, it’s a lot harder for me to get better.

A day in the life of a CFer means taking multiple pills called enzymes every time I eat, many breathing treatments, vitamins, antibiotics, and lots and lots of food. Because the mucus blocks off my pancreas, it is very hard for me to digest food. That’s why I’m so small and skinny. Constant up-keep with my breathing treatments is important so the mucus doesn’t build up in my lungs, because it’s already hard enough for me to breathe. When I get sick, I need extra help to get better, so I’m usually on antibiotics.

Recently, my disease took a turn for the worse. Three weeks into my freshman year, I got really sick. I was admitted to the hospital for two weeks for the very first time. I was put on IV antibiotics. A tube called a PICC line was inserted in my arm and ran up to my heart. However, there were complications creating a blood clot from the PICC line. I was put on blood thinners (twice daily shots) for six months.

That’s the end of the story? That’s what we thought. But I didn’t get better. I didn’t get better until second semester. That means I missed the first half of my freshman year. My friends had made friends, and were dating, going to dances, and figuring out the ways and woes of the school. I missed out on homecoming, the musical, my favorite holiday (Halloween), my best friends’ birthdays, and my beginning high school experience. Coming back halfway through the year and I didn’t know anything or anyone. It was the first week of school all over again. But I was somewhat prepared. My entire life has been a game of catch up. I don’t miss a day of school. I miss a week. So I’m used to making things up and missing out on things.

By now, I’m just like any other highschooler. I mean, other than the fact that I’m only taking two classes, and am really small. But when I tell people I have a terminal illness, they’re still surprised, which means I must at least appear to have a pretty normal life. And I do have a fairly normal life, considering the circumstances. Sure, this disease will get worse and eventually kill me (unless we find a cure), but for now at least, I’m just another girl in high school. And that’s pretty great.

Please, click on the donate button (or mail a check payable to "CFF" to Kaitie’s Kingdom Great Strides Team, c/o The Gallaghers, PO Box 669, Snoqualmie, WA 98065) to make your contribution towards our family goal of $500. Donations can be a one-time gift or you can set up a monthly amount so your generosity can continue to support research all year round.

Then help us spread the word by emailing your friends, family, coworkers and boss, asking them to match -- or beat -- your donation amount. Add a link to this page (http://www.cff.org/great_strides/CathyGallagher/) to your blog, facebook page, newsletter... where ever and whenever you can help spread the word is a great help to us and to everyone who lives with Cystic Fibrosis.

Thank you for your support -- and we hope to see you on Saturday, September 22nd for the 2012 Snoqualmie Valley Great Strides!

NOTE FROM CATHY: In case you haven't seen it, Kaitie made this video one afternoon while I was at work. It was for a youtube contest which is kind of a video time capsule of a day in people's lives, all sorts of videos filmed on the same day. K did a great job of putting it together (so great that it was picked to be in the top 100 videos for consideration in the Life in a Day movie being made by Ridley Scott!). Its about doing her therapy because she hopes that when someone watches the time capsule video in the future, no one will have to do therapy for CF anymore because they will have found a cure.