Here´s a great story from Kristy, of Australia, a real example of a "trooper". Kristy was 12 when she wrote this. We hope she will consider writing more and sharing her progress with us.

Kristy´s story: Ok, I´m not very good at stories, but I´m going to try and write one. Have you ever been out for a night, in the cold air, with as much stuff on as possible (knowing you´ve got asthma), gone back home, and your life has never been the same again? Well that´s how my life has been ever since we had a Japanese exchange student in 2000. Every year, when they come, they have a greeting BBQ, and my family had a student for the first time, so we went out for the dinner and my life has never been the same. You see, I guess it was too much cold air or something, but a few days later I got a really bad earache and it turned out to be an ear infection. What I didn´t know is that it had already got down to my chest and what my family and I thought was asthma wasnEvery year, when they come, they have a greeting BBQ, and my family had a student for the first time, so we went out for the dinner and my life has never been the same. You see, I guess it was too much cold air or something, but a few days later I got a really bad earache and it turned out to be an ear infection. What I didn´t know is that it had already got down to my chest and what my family and I thought was asthma wasn´t. I got this cough, and it was thick and yucky and tasted foul. Most people would think "Yeah, yeah, so what?" But it matters. I saw a doctor when it started, and went around in circles. "It´s another infection, here are some antibiotics." "It´ll go away soon if we treat it." But no matter what they did, or how they treated me, it always came back - like it liked me or something.

After seeing numerous doctors (I was staying at my Nanna´s with my family) I came down quite crook (Aussie for sick), so Mum rang the doctors and got me an appointment. I was so scared when we walked in because it wasn´t my normal doctor. It was a different one. We sat down, got called in and everything, and the doctor said, "This young lady has a lung condition. I'll give her these antibiotics and I would like you to come back and see me soon." Then he said, "I would also like to get her checked up by a chest specialist at the women´s and children´s hospital". Now, finally, we were getting somewhere, but this is one and a half years on. Something that´s really helped me get through this time (apart from my family I couldn´t live without - they´re the biggest help in the world no matter what) was and is the children´s group "Hi-5". I guess that seeing their smiling faces and their brightness helps you get through a lot. For the two times I´ve been in hospital this year they have got me back up from off the ground when my sister and dad couldn´t be there and when mum had to go out for a while. They really are a great help. Anyway back to where we were. After seeing a brilliant Hi-5 Concert in Adelaide (my first one a month or so later) my mum, dad, sister and I went to the children´s hospital for my first appointment with the specialist. I walked in as nervous as I could be, had some pulmonary function tests done, had a couple of other tests done (like a blood one that really hurt) and left to get some lunch. Then I went to see a physiotherapist that said to the specialist, "She has a worse cough then some of our normal cystic fibrosis patients." Well, that was true. After the tests came back, I got put on a three-month course of antibiotics which I reckon I grew a resistance to. I also got referred to an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) specialist, where I had some scans done. It was decided that I had to have surgery done to fix the problem, which I described like this: "I was stuffed". After everything got organised, I went into surgery. I had the normal surgery but the surgeon didn´t have to do as much as planned because my sinuses had started to clear up. But I still had the cough. At this time they had suspected I had cystic fibrosis. Mum and dad thought no, because I´ve been told my whole life that I didn´t have it. Any way the story goes on…

I came out of there after not one but two weeks of IV antibiotics, got home, felt a bit weird and all that type of stuff, came down crook, became better again, and then I got really sick around Easter. I went and saw the doctor on Tuesday and got admitted then and there in a country hospital. The people there were really nice. After spending a week there, they got a sample off. It came back two days later. I got a bug that you can´t treat in country hospitals and the next day I was back down in the children´s. It was then that they said "If she has got this bug, it can´t be anything else but CF," so a trip was organized and I went to Sydney in July. I had two nasal tests (I can´t remember exactly what they were called), some other nose thing, and more than 17 tubes of blood taken. Then they said, "This child does have CF." That was quite a shock - well, not that much, but still a big one. After coming back from the ten-hour trip I went to see the specialist and got put on some different medication and I've boomed ever since then.

Kristy and her Mum, Barbara

Kristy, Kellie Hoggart (of Australia´s Hi-5 children´s band) and Nicki (Kristy´s sister)

Now, I´m as well as I could be! I think I have shocked doctors, specialists, physio´s and most of all my family who, a year ago, never thought I´d become this well. I´m pretty happy with what I´ve achieved, and I´m going to have a very good Christmas even though I´m on loads of medication. I´ve taught myself that if it keeps you well then it´s a good thing after all. Oh, and just before I go I´d like you to hear my saying, "Even though I´m different, I´m still special and nobody in this world can stop me from saying that and I will always follow my dreams".