Kelly Weaver May 2007
Kelly Weaver, an incredible newlywed with boundless energy and an enormous smile, doesn’t let her cystic fibrosis (CF), a chronic genetic disease, stop her from pursuing her many goals. A dedicated community volunteer, Kelly enjoys spending time serving various charities and not-for-profit organizations. She is also enthusiastic about pursuing her varied academic interests. A recent graduate of Central Missouri State University with a degree in biology, she is now working toward obtaining her Master’s degree of social work at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis. Kelly credits her ability to lead such an ambitious and active lifestyle to her steadfast commitment to maintaining her extensive healthcare routine.
According to Kelly, this dedication to proactively manage her CF enables her to make the most of each day. “Since I was a little girl, I’ve understood that I need to stay as healthy as possible in order to attain all my goals,” said Kelly. “I’m continually looking toward the future and now, being newly married, I am even more motivated to follow my medical and health routine to stay in the best shape possible.”
Each day, Kelly eats a nutritious diet, exercises and follows a complex course of therapy that includes chest physical therapy, inhaled medications, antibiotics, and digestive enzymes. Diagnosed with CF at 6 months old, she is thankful that from an early age her parents helped her to accept her medical treatments as a part of daily life and nurtured her innate independence and accountability. Kelly recalls that these life lessons were extremely valuable when she went away to college and left home for the first time. She was self-disciplined enough to continue to incorporate her complex medical regimen into her busy lifestyle.
"With her amazing energy, self-discipline to manage CF on a daily basis and desire to make our world a better place, Kelly is a role model to the CF community,” said Randy Young, MD, adult pulmonologist and Associate Director of the Adult CF Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Center and Heroes of Hope Living with CF Panel member. “Through her tireless commitment to giving back to the community and her strong spirit, she is a beacon of hope to many people and extremely deserving of this honor."
Despite her time-consuming daily treatments and fast-paced school and social schedule, Kelly makes time to participate in extensive charity work. She derives great pleasure from volunteering with organizations including Big Brother/Big Sister, Special Olympics, Adopt-a-Highway and visiting with residents of a local nursing home and community center. In addition to serving her community, she counts achieving academic success as one of her top priorities. Some of Kelly’s many scholarly achievements include receiving her undergraduate sorority’s top national academic and personality award, the Frost Fidelity Award; receiving “Freshman of the Year” and “Alpha Sweetheart” awards for personality, service and academic merit; and consistently appearing on the Dean’s List for high grades. Kelly counts her proudest accomplishments to date as graduating from college and marrying her loving husband Nathan.
Although living with CF presents numerous obstacles, Kelly manages them with strength and resilience and focuses on pursuing an active, fulfilling life. She savors each moment spent with her new husband, family and friends. “I face each day with a positive, optimistic attitude and a smile on my face. I don’t let my CF stop me from achieving my goals and being the person I want to be.”
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.
