Joseph Edge March 2008
Having a "can-do" attitude has always come naturally for Joseph Edge, despite the numerous obstacles that he is forced to confront every day. Although 12 years old, Joseph meets the challenges of the chronic condition of cystic fibrosis (CF) with maturity and courage far beyond his years. His family attributes much of his good health to lots of exercise, compliance and consistency to his medical regimen and an attentive medical team.
Joseph was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at 8-years-old, after years of mystery about his ongoing health problems with recurring upper respiratory infections and allergies. Suddenly, he and his family were presented with a bevy of challenges, such as a cumbersome medical routine and a slew of therapies to combat the digestive and pulmonary problems inherent of CF. Joseph's ability to bravely deal with CF has contributed to his family's capacity to stay optimistic. His parents describe Joseph as "always cheerful. He never misses a beat!"
"Joseph is a great example of what someone can accomplish when you commit to being positive," said Heroes of Hope Living with CF Panel Member and cystic fibrosis and caregiver activist Lisa Yourman. "He's hardworking and smart; if there seems to be an insurmountable obstacle in his path, he comes up with a Plan B."
Joseph and his parents know medical compliance is a necessity in CF and are vigilant that he never misses a dose of his medicines. Joseph's days start very early so he has time to fit in his medical routine before school. He takes pancreatic enzymes with meals and snacks, antibiotics, vitamins and inhaled medications twice daily. His twin sister Anna, who doesn't have CF, helps him during his long regimens, often bringing him his medications or chatting during his treatments. While Joseph's whole family gets in on the act of helping him remember his medications and stay as healthy as possible, his parents emphasize that they make it clear that it is ultimately Joseph's responsibility to proactively be in charge of his own health. As Joseph gets older and eventually goes out on his own, his parents know that it will be even more important for Joseph to have gained an independent mindset on his medicines and own healthcare.
To adapt to his busy lifestyle, Joseph and his family have built up a series of strategies to ease the difficulties of his medical routine. Joseph's teachers and coaches at school have been briefed about his CF, just in case a medical situation happens to arise. He keeps a supply of his medications at the school office, along with nutritious snacks. When he is going on a trip, Joseph packs his medicine into baggies with plenty of extras. He also keeps duplicates of some of his medicines at the houses of his close friends.
In addition to vigilantly taking his medicines, Joseph participates in many sports to stay strong and fit. He plays baseball and tennis, but his favorite sport by far is football. He plays center position on his school's team the Cardinals, for which his dad volunteers as one of the coaches and his sister functions as the team manager. This year, Joseph was bestowed the Cardinal Award by his team for demonstrating exemplary leadership and team spirit while maintaining high academic standards. Not only does Joseph play the sport, but he also possesses knowledge of football that would impress even the most die-hard, adult football fan and has made it a family tradition to go to every home Mississippi State football game each season.
Besides succeeding in athletics, Joseph does exceedingly well in school and pursues many hobbies. He consistently appears on his school's honor roll. He is characterized by his teachers as a very organized student always willing to lend a hand in helping other children with their school work. For the past three years, Joseph has accomplished the impressive feat of being in the top 10 percentile of academic achievement in his age group, according to the Duke TIP 4th/5th Grade Talent Search.
Joseph has always participated in community service work, but since being diagnosed with CF, he focuses on raising awareness and funds for CF. Joseph emphasizes that "every penny is one step closer to finding the cure for CF." Joseph has been a speaker in his area's annual Champions Dinner to educate and raise money for CF. Like his parents, Joseph feels that it is important to educate people about CF, emphasizing that early diagnosis is key. He has spoken on local radio and news shows about the disease and his experiences. Each year, his family participates in Great Strides, a national walk that raises money for CF research.
Joseph's spirit and numerous accomplishments make him an inspiration to all those around him. He doesn't let his disease define him, but he does continually define how it is possible to succeed and accomplish his goals while dealing with cystic fibrosis.
"If you don't have a good attitude," Joseph says, "you may just be kind of miserable because you don't think about the stuff that you can do, just what you can't, when in reality you can do anything."
