No one wants to hear bad news. There’s nothing worse on the face of the planet than to hear that there is something seriously wrong with your child. I know this feeling all too well. When my daughter was just 11 days old, she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a fatal genetic disease.
On that day my newborn was given a death sentence. I was devastated and broken, but as I began asking our doctors questions, I found some hope. I was told that treatments for this disease have come a long way in the last 20 years and that researchers, including some at Cincinnati Children’s, were working tirelessly to try to find a cure for the disease. I decided then that I was going to fight this disease, too. I got involved with the local Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, learned all I could about the disease, and became my daughter’s advocate. I took an active role in her care. She’s now 6 years old and thriving.
Although receiving this earth-shattering news felt like the end of the world, the pain lessened with time. After the initial shock settled, a very deep sadness ensued. In spite of this, I realized that I had a choice—I could sit back and let cystic fibrosis beat my family or I could fight it. Even though my heart was broken, since then I’ve seen how amazingly strong my daughter is. She’s taught me to appreciate life like I never did before. Together we fight cystic fibrosis and celebrate every victory over the disease, knowing that we are one day closer to a cure.
Alex is a radiologist and the Neil D. Johnson Chair of Radiology Informatics. In this role, he helps to manage the information systems used by the Radiology department. Clinically, Alex is the Assistant Director of thoracoabdominal imaging. His research interests include liver disease, liver tumors, inflammatory bowel disease, and appendicitis.
