At 4 months old, I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Life for my family drastically changed after this. One of the biggest changes was the treatments they had to help me do every day. Anyone who has CF or knows someone who does would understand that these treatments can be extensive. Although I do not let what other people think of me define who I am, one of the challenges that comes with having cystic fibrosis is how people treat me after they know I have this disease.
Ever since I was a little girl, I loved soccer with all my heart. My grandpa played professionally, coached his daughter (my mom), and then coached me all throughout my childhood. My grandpa and I developed a bond through soccer that I will forever be grateful for, and I would not be the player or person that I am today without him and my mom supporting me through it all.
Although I am the luckiest girl in the world to have so many people in my corner while fighting this disease, there will always be people who don’t quite understand the reality of it and interpret things the wrong way. When I was playing club soccer, I was recruited for a camp called ECNL National Training Camp, which only the top soccer players in the country could attend. I remember every detail of my dad telling me I was invited to the camp, and how proud he was of me. We both started crying. Soccer meant so much to me, and this was a milestone I would never forget.
During one of the training sessions at the camp, I had a hard time breathing because I missed a CF treatment. I told my coach that I had a lung disease, and this completely changed the way that he saw me as a player. I realized that because I had told him about my disease, I started to get less playing time, and he became way more concerned with my stamina than he was before. It was clear to me that he believed I was less capable than other players because of my disability. Due to this stereotype, I felt anxiety and pressure to perform, even though I was more than capable of holding my own. Thankfully, this motivated me to work even harder and prove the coach wrong, but it still set me back in that moment.
Throughout my life, I have been underestimated by doctors, teachers, and coaches, but I have never underestimated myself.
My family always taught me that I could reach my goals and live any life I wanted to live. This experience solidified that mindset and showed me the kind of player and person I wanted to be. It pushed me to work harder and prove people wrong, and eventually, I ended up playing Division II soccer at the University of California Merced, which many people told me was impossible.
Cystic fibrosis has taught me many things, but one of the most important things that I have learned is that if I let stereotypes and self-doubt get to me, then my disease will become my own self-fulfilling prophecy. Never will I allow this to consume me and make me someone I am not; it will only make me stronger and show me how to separate the stereotype from my own reality. I hope this kind of mindset can inspire others and show people that who you are and how you succeed will outshine even the worst stereotypes you encounter.
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