Kate Sneddon
Heroes of Hope Panel member and CF physician Dr. Joan Decelie-Germana sat down with our newest Hero, Kate Sneddon, 16, and her mother Linda to talk about being a busy teen, a food lover and chef and tips for balancing demands of life with the demands of cystic fibrosis.
Dr. DeCelie-Germana: I'm so excited to spend time talking to you both! Kate, you are a rare teen who can manage to be so balanced, positive and compliant with treatments. I am honored to name you as a Hero, not only because of your dedication to your health, but also because of your academic, community service and athletic accomplishments. You are an excellent student with an "A" average, a talented artist that has displayed artwork regionally, a dedicated volunteer for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and a hardworking athlete in several sports. I applaud you for that. How do you do it all?
Kate: I'm not a super teen by any means. I've learned that if you try to think of certain things as non-negotiable, like treatments or doctor appointments, they actually become that way in your mind. I start each weekday at 5:55 a.m. to give myself enough time for treatments. Luckily, I'm a morning person. I think of taking my treatments the same way as taking a shower or eating breakfast – just a standard part of my day. I'm pretty busy with school, sports (I play soccer, track and am one of the captain of the junior lacrosse team) and volunteer work, but I stay on top of my treatments.
Dr. DeCelie-Germana: Do you think that being in sports has helped you with discipline and building healthy habits?
Kate: I love playing sports because of the exercise and because they are fun, but I also think that being an athlete has helped with my self-esteem. Each game or practice, I have small goals: catch the ball, run to the line, push harder, breathe. I may sometimes have to take breaks to catch my breath but I always strive to do my personal best. I try to apply this goal-setting philosophy to my schoolwork, too.
Dr. DeCelie-Germana: Teenage years can be tough for any mother, but having a child with a chronic disease can add a whole new layer of challenges. What advice, Linda, would you give other parents of teens with CF?
Linda: In my experience, it's a delicate balance of knowing when to let your child take on more responsibility with their health and when you as a parent should step in. It can be tough at times: when she was younger, she had a false start with transitioning, and I realized that she wasn't ready to take on more responsibility. She is now very much in charge of her health, but it is still a give and take situation for me as a parent, knowing when you have to ramp up taking care of your child (for Kate it's when she is sick) and knowing when to give them room. I'm lucky that Kate has been so responsible since the end of middle school. Now a junior in high school, she knows that she won't be allowed to go away from home for college unless she is independent, so that goal has helped her stay on track.
Dr. DeCelie-Germana: Kate, in addition to all your athletic activities, you are also a stellar student and a CF advocate. Recently, Kate walked with her team of friends and family, called Kate's Crusaders, for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Great Strides event in her hometown. Kate's Crusaders raised over $25,000 for CF research! You must have a great group of friends and family supporting you. Did you ever find it challenging to let your friends know about your CF?
Kate: Not really, because I always made CF a part of the conversation with my friends at school. At the beginning of the school year in first, second, third, fourth and fifth grade, I would bring in my vest to school and show the other children what I had to do every day and told them about CF. It cleared up any questions that the kids had and took the mystery out of my routine. The other kids then knew why I coughed and why I had to take pills during the day. I did the same thing at camp, removing the unfamiliarity, so that when I did my treatments, the other kids would sit and play cards or games with while I did my treatments.
Dr. DeCelie-Germana: Linda and Kate, you definitely seem like you are a family of "do-ers." Kate and Linda thank you so much for spending time with us today and for setting such a wonderful example for other people with CF and their parents! Any last words of wisdom for everyone?
Linda: Kate can have a bad day and that's okay, but what is important is that you move on to the positive.
Kate: CF has given me perspective. I'm not glad that I have CF, but it's helped me to be glad for what I have versus wanting what I don't have.
Kate's Favorite Things
Sports
Fashion
Friends
Eating food
Near Term Goals
Speak Italian in Italy
Travel to Australia
Display her artwork nationally
Please note: The information contained on these Heroes of Hope™ Living with CF award recipient biographies are not regularly updated. This Hero was interviewed June 3, 2010. This information is representative only of the moment in time in which the Hero was interviewed.10542500
