Jeremy Kharrazi April 2007
Jeremy Kharrazi, a junior at Alameda Community Learning Center, is admired by many teenagers because of his great friendships, excellent grades and accomplishments in several varsity sports. Looking at Jeremy's successes, it's difficult to tell that he has CF, a chronic genetic lung disease, or that he spends several hours each day proactively managing his disease.
Although living with CF presents him with challenges, Jeremy takes them in stride and concentrates on pursuing an active life while diligently managing his health maintenance routine. According to Jeremy, this proactive disease management helps maximize his ability to make the most of each day. “In the morning I wake up ready and excited to tackle the day ahead of me,” said Jeremy.
“I don’t allow CF to be a huge barrier in my life, and I attribute that to my active lifestyle, dedication to CF health maintenance and the love and encouragement of my family.” Jeremy is one of five siblings but the only one with CF.
Since Jeremy was diagnosed at age 3, his mother and father Lisa and Martin Kharrazi say that he has had a zest and intensity for life. Lisa, who nominated Jeremy for the Heroes of Hope Living with CF award, says she and her husband Martin have been very proud as parents to see their son dealing with CF with maturity and optimism. “Jeremy has evolved into a true leader in his school and community, learning personal responsibility and beginning to make plans for his future at college” said Lisa, an optometrist who is also actively involved with the CF community. “He has found a strong balance between staying physically and mentally healthy, which has been critical to his sustained good health and confidence,” said Martin, a researcher with the Department of Health Services who has helped design the CF newborn screening program being started soon in the state of California.
"Jeremy has truly demonstrated resilience as he lives with the day to day challenges of CF. Despite daily therapies and occasional antibiotics, he thrives in school, takes initiative and lives a balanced life of friends, hobbies and responsibilities,” said Isabel Stenzel Byrnes, who co-chairs the Heroes of Hope Living with CF Advisory Panel with her twin sister Anabel. “Even in the throes of adolescent pressures, his CF hasn’t been an insurmountable obstacle in pursuing his goals, and he's matured beyond his years because of it. We are honored to present him with the Heroes of Hope award," said Anabel Stenzel.
Jeremy has traveled to Cuba and Israel, climbed Mount Shasta and Half Dome in Yosemite and now is preparing to leave home for college next year. He remains faithfully committed to following his daily medical treatment regimen and is currently applying to a variety of top colleges that are all within close proximity to a CF center. His daily routine includes chest physical therapy, inhaled medications, antibiotics, digestive enzymes and bronchodilators. Jeremy also believes in complementing his health regimen by staying physically active and engages in regular exercise including varsity level sports at his school.
Whether he’s playing sports, pursuing his studies, or managing his CF, Jeremy is dedicated to achieving his personal best. He enjoys spending time as a lifeguard and as an intern at a catering kitchen. He has also been committed to community service by teaching young children to swim, delivering food to Jewish families in need and participating in clinical trials to further CF research. Jeremy has worked with the local Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, participated in fundraising events for the Cystic Fibrosis Research, Inc. (CFRI) and was a Make-A-Wish Foundation Ambassador. He has also been the recipient of the Holocaust Memorial Award for the past four years and recently received the Coaches Award for Water Polo at his school.
Of his many accomplishments, Jeremy is most proud of his academic achievements. He is currently taking all Honors high school courses, as well as college courses at the local community college, and is the Co-President of the Junior Statesman Chapter of his high school. He has maintained a greater than 4.0 Grade Point Average throughout high school, all of which he hopes will help earn him entrance to a college that offers both excellent academics and athletics. Jeremy considers his parents to be his biggest role models and looks forward to proving to them that he can maintain his medical regimen while living on his own. “I think that everyone with CF should strive to go to college and, in order to do that successfully, you must be responsible,” said Jeremy. “I am trying to show my parents that I can take care of myself so that they won’t worry about me next year.”
Please note: The information contained these Heroes of Hope Living with CF award recipient biographies are not regularly updated. The information only represents the point in time when the Heroes of Hope recipient was honored.
