Preparing for the school year with cystic fibrosis involves careful planning and advocacy. Since my daughter, Desi, started school, I’ve learned about how to best prepare Desi, her teachers, and school administration to help ensure her education and health thrive.
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Navigating school can be challenging when you have cystic fibrosis. The following tips can help parents and students feel prepared for a productive school year.
My daughter, Desi, recently started school. Here's what we did to prepare her to manage her cystic fibrosis and navigate the COVID-19 pandemic — and what we learned in the process.
One of the reasons I decided to attend boarding school was to take charge of my cystic fibrosis care. Although I’m not perfect at taking care of myself, I learned that the importance of staying on top of treatments when my parents gave me the chance to fail.
I felt so alone as a kid being gay and having CF — there weren’t any role models in the 80s and 90s that I could look up to. Eventually, I found people who understood what I was going through and that helped me feel good about who I was, and who I am today.
My school gave students a choice of how they want to go back to school: virtually or in person. After considering what made sense for my CF, learning style, and mental health, I decided to attend school in person.
When my university first shut down in March because of COVID-19, I thought our quarantine would be temporary. Now I am contemplating a fully online fall semester. I'm calling on all colleges to continue to accommodate the needs of their high-risk students.
Annoying though it may have been for me, my mom was determined to raise a daughter who was healthy despite CF. However, we would both soon realize that not every symptom is visible.
After years of being treated as an oddity, I want people to acknowledge that I am a Black girl with cystic fibrosis. I want my voice to be heard.