My interest and passion for finding a cure for cystic fibrosis began years before I ever dreamed of becoming Miss Alabama. When I was 9 years old, I met an energetic, spunky girl named Maddie. We were in the third grade and shared the same teacher. Even though I was young at the time, I noticed Maddie was physically different and was constantly making trips to the nurse's office. In addition, she had a daily regimen of large pills she would take before every meal, and she had to give herself a growth hormone shot. While I thought and recognized that this was all unusual, I did not fully comprehend the seriousness of her condition. I would later learn that Maddie suffers from cystic fibrosis.
Upon visiting Maddie at the hospital, I truly began to understand the debilitating and life-threatening nature of cystic fibrosis. At age 9, I had never been exposed to serious illness with my family or friends, so being at the hospital was foreign to me — a new experience that was somewhat frightening. Seeing my normally energetic friend, Maddie, lying in a hospital bed helpless and hooked up to oxygen not only alarmed me but gave me an overall sense that this was unfair.
Why do I get to have a normal life while Maddie has to suffer? This feeling inside stirred a need to help, but I was not quite sure what I could do about it at that age.
Once the school year ended, Maddie asked me to participate in our local Great Strides walk, one of the largest Cystic Fibrosis Foundation fundraisers. Since I had never served or participated in an activity like this, participating in that fundraiser walk helped me understand I really could make a difference and fight to find a cure for Maddie and others like her.
While that first walk was the catalyst that launched my involvement, I was determined to do more. After watching Maddie struggle and realizing that her life expectancy is significantly shortened, I felt a sense of urgency that I had to find other ways to get involved in the fight. When I decided to compete in the Miss America system for Miss Alabama, I never doubted or questioned whether I would pick cystic fibrosis as my Service Initiative.
This past year, I went into my third year competing for Miss Alabama and wanted to expand my fundraising efforts to make my biggest stride yet for CF. I sought to create a fun, unique event that would result in a significant amount of money raised. While I was brainstorming this concept, my local Hoover Police Chief was featured prominently in the news and was being poked fun at on social media. After careful thought, and seeing his colorful personality, I came up with the idea to do a roast of Police Chief Nick Derzis to raise money for my cause. As a result, I created, planned, and organized the inaugural Hoover Roast Fundraiser, hosted by sports network contributor, Paul Finebaum, and raised over $190,000 in just one day. I sold over 320 tickets, 35 tables of 10 people, and 33 auction items. This event shattered all previous fundraising efforts, and it was the largest single fundraising event in the history of the CF Foundation’s Alabama Chapter. After nine months of planning and countless meetings and phone calls, my dream came true, and the event was an overwhelming success. While I had zero experience planning and organizing such a large event, it opened my eyes to the power of surrounding myself with the right people. Together, we created a team that helped me realize my dream. One of the most fulfilling moments was being able to present the check directly to the staff at the CF Foundation’s Alabama Chapter once it was over.
My service initiative, "Be the Change - Find a Cure: Cystic Fibrosis Awareness," has benefitted me perhaps far more than I could ever help anyone else. In life, we tend to look at what we do not have and forget just how truly blessed we are.
My friend, Maddie, who battles CF is a light and inspires me to live every day to its fullest. When I look at her attitude, it humbles me and makes me realize that my problems pale in comparison. She inspired personal growth in me and helped me create an attitude of gratitude and servitude. I have realized that life on Earth is brief, with or without cystic fibrosis, and we are here to have a positive impact on others and live a selfless life.
This year, the Lord blessed me with an opportunity of a lifetime. I was crowned Miss Alabama 2024. I am thrilled to continue advocating for cystic fibrosis awareness on an even greater platform! I believe this opportunity will allow me to expand my scope of reach beyond the state of Alabama. I plan to increase awareness, drive greater participation in fundraising events, expand visibility, and make sure CF community needs and priorities are heard. While I am only one person, I promised Maddie at the tender age of 9, I would be by her side forever and help her beat this disease — and that is exactly what I intend to do.
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