Lady Gaga was onto something when she penned the lyrics “just dance; it’ll be okay.”
Becca Friedman has been dancing her whole life, and despite her life-threatening cystic fibrosis diagnosis, she’s okay.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder. Affecting more than 30,000 Americans, it causes bodily fluids that are normally “thin and slippery” to become “thick and sticky.” The symptoms lead to clogging, which damages the lungs and digestive system. However, improvements are being made. The average life expectancy used to be in the teens, and now it’s more like 40. And in the lifetime Friedman has been given, she’s certainly making the most of it.
The 28-year-old loves to dance. She has been a member of dance companies, pursued dance in college, and has taken advantage of summer dance residencies for years. Not to mention, she even fell in love with a dancer—Peter Commander. And this holiday season, the pair has been busy; they co-founded a dance company together and have been preparing for their upcoming performance of “A Christmas Carol.”
But in between rehearsing, practicing, stretching, and repeating, Friedman has managed to stay on top of her cystic fibrosis regimen. Her treatment plan includes 60 pills every day, nebulized medication, and a 30-minute session of physical therapy. It’s not like this girl makes me feel lazy or anything?
Though she’s always made her treatment a top priority, it’s the emotional effects that prove, sometimes, even more difficult.
“For most of us, it’s an invisible disease,” she said. “People look at me and they see me as a normal, healthy 28-year-old. So on days when I’m not feeling my best or am coughing nonstop or am just really exhausted, people often don’t understand why or think I’m just giving excuses. They forget that I’m battling against my body 24/7 and, though I put up a good fight,” she continued, “there are certain days that CF wins.”
However, it’s Friedman and Commander who are winning this Christmas season. Their performance has debuted to rave reviews, and at the rate Friedman moves, there’s a good chance she’s already thinking about the next.
Share Becca’s story to support awareness of cystic fibrosis and it’s challenges!
This month, PatientWorthy is teaming up with CysticLife.org to spread awareness of CF and support their collaboration with the Mayo Clinic for a community-driven research project investigating the benefits of exercise for CF patients. If you’re interested in contributing to the fund or want to become a CysticLife member, drop by CysticLife.org or donate here today! Don’t forget to share this post!
