31 Days of CF: I Want to Live Fully

Photo courtesy of Ashley Wilson

Day 24 of 31

This is Ashley Wilson’s story:

“I want to live life to the fullest.” This is a common phrase, but how many people actually live by it? I think that everyone with cystic fibrosis can relate to the fact that those who live with a progressive, life-threatening disease have a deeper understanding of the fragility of life.

From a young age, my schedule has always been jampacked, and many have asked, “When are you going to slow down?” The singer Ciara once said in an interview, “I am afraid of wasting my life. Life is so precious. I want to maximize life, and I want someone who wants to maximize life with me.”

I never looked at life knowing what the “expiration date” was, as some refer to it. I never referenced or considered a number that was calculated to be “my number.” I’ve always known that we are never guaranteed tomorrow. I knew, and continue to know, that when I am no longer breathing on this Earth, I am going to be called home to be with my Heavenly Father.

Medical advancements that are continuing to be made available, such as Trikafta (elexacaftor, tezacaftor, and ivacaftor), have changed my life. It’s a weird awakening to realize what a gift this medication is and how it has transformed how I breathe.

One thing that doesn’t change is my mentality about life. Again, tomorrow is not guaranteed. Until I am called home, I pray that I can glorify God and be a vessel for the Gospel. God put me on this Earth for a purpose, and I don’t want to waste a minute of it. Cystic fibrosis has just been a bonus.

Has it been an amazing bonus? Yes and no. It has been difficult, but I wouldn’t be the person I am today, nor would I have met the amazing warriors I’ve met, or even have the perspective on life that I now have without it.

Every moment — big or small, amazing or heartbreaking — is a blessing. I am thankful for each minute of it.

Cystic Fibrosis News Today’s 31 Days of CF campaign will publish one story per day for Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month in May. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more stories like this, using the hashtag #31DaysofCF, or read the full series.