Meet the 2024 Scholars

"Describe a defining moment in your journey with CF that sparked personal growth or resilience. How did this experience affect you and what did you learn from this moment?"

Though I've been aware of my cystic fibrosis for my whole life, I have never felt alone in my fight. My younger brother, Gianni, also has CF, and he was born and diagnosed before I was even two years old. Because of this, I've lived most of my life with someone who understood all of the medicines and the treatments. The scariness of the unknown wasn't so scary when I had a friend who was with me at every event, appointment, and treatment. I had a rude awakening in May 2022, at the Great Strides walk, which raises money for CF. In the months leading up to it, my brother's health had worsened. He wasn't going to die, but his gastrointestinal issues were something that my family had never experienced before, and that doctors could not explain or successfully treat. This meant that Gianni had to stay home and missed out on a lot, including the CF walk. I still remember it vividly: I was walking to the bathroom as all of our friends and family arrived to support us, yet I was alone. It was an unfamiliar feeling, not having my "partner-in-crime" there with me. Before I knew it, I started to cry. I couldn't really explain why, but the rush of people around me as preparations for the walk began only intensified how lonely I felt. I knew Gianni was going to be okay, but at that moment, I wanted nothing more than for him to get better. The walk came and went, and nothing explosive happened, but this was the catalyst for my journey in advocating for CF. It was so frustrating that even though we have such great support from doctors and the CF foundation, there was still no answer for Gianni's problems. I wanted to be a part of the solution, and in 2023, I got that opportunity, when I earned the title of Miss Golden Isles, with which I will be competing at the Miss Georgia Pageant in June 2024. I have never been a "pageant girl," but this opportunity has allowed me to advocate for the education of the general public on cystic fibrosis. My Community Service Initiative is called #65Roses, and through it, I have been able to share my experience with cystic fibrosis and those of others in order to raise awareness. Though my defining moment with cystic fibrosis doesn't involve any physical health struggles, there is not a more defining moment in my growth as a CF advocate or as a person. I feel that it has made me more empathetic, and given me the strength to be able to speak about my experience: something that was very difficult for me prior to this. This seemingly insignificant moment in my life has had a tremendous effect on me and my future.