A Little Background Information
At the age of six I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF). For those of you who are unfamiliar with CF, it is a genetic disorder that affects the lungs and pancreas. Cells in the body produce thick, sticky mucus that clogs the tubes and passageways within the body. This clogging prevents the pancreas from being able to produce the enzymes necessary for digestion, and, over time, causes scarring, inflammation, and infections in the lungs which can lead to respiratory failure and death (http://www.cff.org/).As a child, the major symptoms I experienced were digestive; my lung complications didn’t really begin until my freshman year of college. At this time, I was diagnosed with a non-malignant brain tumor on my pituitary gland. The medications used to try to shrink the tumor caused my body to become vulnerable to infection. During Christmas break of my freshman year, I was hospitalized with pneumonia and sinusitis. My illness was so severe, I was not able to return to college for the second semester, but instead remained at home to have sinus surgery and, eventually, brain surgery to remove the tumor.
My return to college the following year was difficult. I started experiencing the effects of CF in a dramatic and traumatizing way. My lungs began to bleed excessively causing hemoptysis (coughing up blood). I was hospitalized with each new episode and spent over four weeks in the hospital during my sophomore year. My doctors finally realized this was part of my disease progression and it could not be resolved through hospitalization.
In the years that followed, I had several medical set-backs and was hospitalized periodically for “tune-ups” (IV antibiotic treatments). I battled Aspergillus (a fungal lung infection); survived two spontaneous pneumothoraxes (collapsed lungs); dealt with numerous lung infections; developed diabetes; had my gall bladder removed and a feeding tube inserted into my stomach.
Despite my medical struggles, I completed my Master’s Degree in counseling and worked in both clinical and career counseling settings.
In 1999, I discovered my true passion, counseling college students with medical, psychological, and learning disabilities and had the honor of serving as the Coordinator of Disability Support Services at St. Bonaventure University for seven and a half years.
In January of 2007, my body entered the end stages of CF, and I had to retire from my position at the University. Without a double lung transplant, my condition would be terminal and, based on my current lung functions, I was given approximately two more years to live.
I was fortunate to be accepted by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Cardiopulmonary Transplant Program, one of two in the United States to accept high-risk cases like mine. I received the miracle of new lungs on December 10, 2008 and am learning to breathe a little easier once again.
My Family
Scott is the President of Cubic Storage, a small company in Westons Mills that sells and rents lift trucks, lockers, conveyor systems, and storage equipment. Scott has many passions including music, (he plays the drums, congas, bongos, and guitar) snowboarding, motorcycle riding, (on both street bikes and dirt bikes) and, of course, Hannah and me!
Hannah is 10 years old and in the 5th Grade at Portville Central School. She is always busy and enjoys many things. She loves to Irish Dance, play basketball, ski, ride horses, read, draw, snuggle with our pets Sweet Pea, Jasper, Cracker, and Oreo, and play with her many girlfriends.
I am so blessed to have Scott and Hannah in my life, they have gotten me through some of my darkest times! I love them VERY MUCH!
Me, Hannah, and Scott
My husband Scott and I have been married for 14 years and we fall more in love every day!
Scott is the President of Cubic Storage, a small company in Westons Mills that sells and rents lift trucks, lockers, conveyor systems, and storage equipment. Scott has many passions including music, (he plays the drums, congas, bongos, and guitar) snowboarding, motorcycle riding, (on both street bikes and dirt bikes) and, of course, Hannah and me!
Hannah is 10 years old and in the 5th Grade at Portville Central School. She is always busy and enjoys many things. She loves to Irish Dance, play basketball, ski, ride horses, read, draw, snuggle with our pets Sweet Pea, Jasper, Cracker, and Oreo, and play with her many girlfriends.
I am so blessed to have Scott and Hannah in my life, they have gotten me through some of my darkest times! I love them VERY MUCH!
