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Katelyn Sims has it all. Captain of the varsity cheerleading squad. Captain of her dance team. Plays on the softball team. Alpha Phi Beta honorary society. Miss Bradford Union County Strawberry Queen at age 18. Selected as best poet in high school. Recently graduated from high school with a 3.4 GPA while working two jobs: runway modeling during bridal shows and as a hostess at Sonny’s BBQ on weekends.
Oh yes, did we mention? Katelyn has cystic fibrosis.
The beautiful and talented daughter of Lisa and David Sims, Katelyn is in the hospital every three months for at least two weeks at a time. Because of this relentless regimen, she missed 60+ days of school.
Cystic fibrosis has shaped and defined Katelyn’s “other” life.
At the Miss Bradford Union County Strawberry Queen pageant, Katelyn’s platform was cystic fibrosis awareness. It wasn’t until the end of the interview, however, that she revealed that she had the disease when one of the judges asked why she is such an advocate. Her response? “My belief that God did not give me a life to exist in; he gave it to me to live. I chose to use this as my way to get out there and let everyone see that just because we have cystic fibrosis, it does not mean we’re doomed. We can still have a life.” Katelyn won the crown – not to mention the admiration of everyone there that day – and will be going on to the next levels of competition
As if all this were not enough, Katelyn does cystic fibrosis research with David Schaffer, MD. Chronicling her experiences since she was eight years old, she mentions taking shots every day for three months and drinking a “gross powder.” During a one-year span, she was hospitalized four times with IVs in both arms to draw blood. Why did she let herself be put through this? “God told me to do it because even if it didn’t help me, it might help others.”
Katelyn also speaks to nursing and other groups, telling them about cystic fibrosis from the patient’s valuable perspective.
Stay tuned. We suspect we’ll hear more from Katelyn down the road. She is simply an amazing example of living life to the fullest. Even if that life is challenged by cystic fibrosis. |
