Meet the 2020 Scholars

"What do you believe is the greatest unaddressed patient need in the CF community, and if you could, how would you try to fix it? Who would you partner with (e.g. public figure, organization) to help fix the issue and why?"

Living with Cystic Fibrosis entails much more than the physical impact on the body. During regular checkup appointments, many of the conversations circle around how we are doing physically. Such as: if we gained weight, how our PFTs are looking, and how we are feeling on a day-to-day basis. The less asked questions are those surrounding the mental health of patients. Although some provisions are in place, there is still a lack of understanding. After all, helping someone cope with something you do not directly share with them is difficult. No one knows exactly how it feels to be a CF warrior other than those who also experience it. This has been the inspiration surrounding my desired career. I am actively working on obtaining a degree in psychology, with hopes of becoming a therapist for kids like me. I began this journey by becoming a mentor through my care team at Yale, for other kids with CF. These kids needed guidance and a person that could relate to their daily battle. This experience inspired me to dedicate my life to helping these children and teens. I am only one person, helping the whole CF community is unrealistic, however, a small impact on the problem is better than no action at all. Instead of involving an existing organization, I would aim to create my own. A place where the unmentioned problem is in the spotlight. This would allow my small local impact to expand nationally, and get people talking.