Dear Caregivers,
“Death is not the enemy sir, Indifference is! You treat a disease, you win, you lose.
You treat a person, I guarantee you, you’ll win, no matter what the outcome.”
—Hunter Doherty “Patch” Adams, American physician, comedian, social activist, clown, author, and co-founder the Gesundheit! Institute.
This is one of my favorite quotes from the legendary Dr. “Patch” Adams, whose life is depicted in a movie of the same name, starring the late actor and comedian Robin Williams. Dr. Adams wants people to see how a person is more than a disease. That it’s just as important to know someone’s name than to know his or her disease. Nearly 75 years old, Dr. Adams still leads volunteers on trips to cheer kids and adults up all over the world, as well as teaches at Wavy Gravy’s Camp Winnarainbow, a circus camp.
Caregivers, we are so grateful for those of you working with children who have CF as well as those who, because of the birth of a child with CF in your own family, have been thrust into a difficult but rewarding unpaid job. I’ve had many caretakers over the years in the CF wing of Eggleston, Grady, Emory, the University of North Carolina, and the University of Cincinnati hospitals. I am extremely grateful to each and every one of them for not only keeping me alive but also keeping me positive.
Caregivers, strive not to make CF the point of every conversation, and treat your patients like people instead of case studies. We may joke about our CF, screw up a few times, and get down about our disease. That doesn’t make us bad. It makes us human. Please love us for who we are. No one CF patient is exactly the same as the next, and I’m not just talking about symptoms and gene mutations. I’m talking about personality and personal experiences.
We are grateful to the people all over the world who may not have CF but because of the way they help us, are honorary CF warriors. We thank you for winning no what matter the outcome.
Live your dreams and love your life, and thank YOU for helping US live our dreams.
Andy