Juggling Parental Priorities

Safety, Health and Happiness. My kids hear it all the time from me and they just roll their eyes having no concept how important these are to a parent. My utterance will usually follow some safety advice I’m yapping such as stay with your friends, driving slowly and take your time, call me when you get there, etc.

I have to stress upon them the responsibility Maureen and I have and that nothing is more important to us than their safety, health and happiness. As parents we need to pick our battles and pay attention to what’s most important in the short time that they are under our roof and may actually listen (?) to us. We assume that if we focus on these three rules then all will fall into place and we can handle everything that slips between the cracks. It doesn’t always work as many times things are just beyond our control.

When a child has a life threatening disease posing daily challenges the order changes to health, safety and happiness. Having cystic fibrosis (CF) means that Deirdre, now 14, must move her health to the top of her list. Her health is placed ahead of just about all she does.

[Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease affecting the glands that produce mucus, tears, sweat, saliva and digestive juices. The most serious threat is respiratory failure caused by a thick mucus buildup that harbors bacteria which causes lung infections. It’s a horrible, life-threatening disease cutting lives short and depriving people like Deirdre of more tomorrows.]

She has a demanding schedule trying to juggle her last year of middle school, multiple sports and physical therapy programs. Each day she hooks herself up to a vibrating vest – a machine that performs chest physiotherapy freeing her lungs of the mucus that builds up. She takes more than twenty pills a day along with multiple inhalers, nasal rinses and sprays.  Because of this strict regiment,  she has to add 1 ½ – 2  hours of  therapy every day just to maintain her health.

If Deirdre loses focus of her priorities and drifts astray she can rest assure that Maureen, and her  sisters Leah (18) and Theresa (15), will step in and and set her straight. She has tremendous support from family, friends, neighbors and folks who have never met her.

Tremendous progress has been made in the fight for a cure and ground breaking medicines are on the market now – no cure just yet but we are very close!

Money to fund the research is critical – it is really the only obstacle at this point.

Safety, Health and Happiness.  Why should we settle for less than this for Deirdre and all those with cystic fibrosis?

Please help make sure they all have more tomorrows.

Thank you,

Peter & Maureen