Growing up, I fiddled with many different instruments … piano, guitar, even cello for a few days. However, there was only one instrument that really stuck with me: the bagpipes. I started playing in the second grade, and over many years I’ve have had the opportunity to play at our local Great Strides walk, the veteran’s hospital, a 9/11 memorial, and even outside the Major League Baseball World Series (go Astros!).
But this story is about how my bagpipes have taken me to places I never could have imagined.
A few years ago, I fell sick — I was coughing, congested, and out of commission for many days. My father recommended that playing the bagpipes might help my lungs.
Honestly, at first, I was really confused. I always thought of the bagpipes as just an instrument — not anything more, and definitely not as a way to help my lungs. But I decided to give it a try, and the results were shocking. My lungs actually cleared up, and I was able to get back on my feet.
This made me wonder: If the bagpipes could help me, could they help others as well? While I was looking into this question, I learned about cystic fibrosis, and I was immediately fascinated.
Since then, the CF community has welcomed me with open arms. First, I reached out to doctors about my question, and they connected me with our local CF Foundation Gulf Coast Chapter. After sharing my experience with them, they were able to introduce me to a few incredible children with CF who were interested in learning the bagpipes. Once we started lessons, we bonded right away, and I was able to show them the chanter — a smaller, flute-like version of the highland bagpipe.
As the idea grew more and more popular, I decided to start an organization called Pipes for the People where we teach those with CF how to play the chanter to help potentially improve what doctors call “breathing capacity.” Through weekly lessons, we are able to grow together — while they get better in their music, I learn more about their lives, their challenges, and ways I can reach more people with CF.
One thing I can say for certain is that the energy of the CF community is definitely contagious. My students have formed a community on Discord where they are able to communicate with each other, share stories, and connect in new ways. We even have international students from places like the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Canada. This energy is, in my opinion, what makes the CF community so unique and welcoming: everyone is always excited to share their stories, contribute to new ideas, and support each other.
While I continued to learn more about the stories of children with CF, I also became interested in learning about the science behind it. I am very interested in working on a clinical trial to test the effects of bagpipe-playing in cystic fibrosis. However, this dream has been deferred because of rules against high school students performing medical studies. Nevertheless, I am excited to get a chance to study in a lab this summer on how to better treat people with CF who have serious bacterial infections in their lungs. I am eager to advance CF care both socially and scientifically through research and innovation.
What started as a hobby has introduced me to a community of people who inspire me to be energized and innovative throughout my daily life. I am extremely grateful to be connected with the CF community and I am excited about the endless possibilities of future innovation and care in cystic fibrosis.
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