At just 12 years old, Kaylee Chappell already knows what it\u2019s like to live with a debilitating disease<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard at times because of constantly having to do treatments to make sure I can breathe, and obviously the feeling of being different, especially at this age when I\u2019m already feeling awkward,\u201d said Kaylee<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You wouldn\u2019t know it from looking at her, but Kaylee has been dealing with cystic fibrosis (CF) for most of her life<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CF is a genetic disorder which impairs the normal clearance of mucus in the lungs. It is the most common fatal genetic disease affecting Canadian children and young adults<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is currently no cure<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Surrounded by her friends and family, Kaylee took part in London\u2019s Walk to Make Cystic Fibrosis History at Greenway Park on Sunday. The walk is CF Canada\u2019s largest fundraising event, and this year is the event\u2019s 20th anniversary<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kaylee\u2019s mother, Alysia Chappell, who has been the walk coordinator for the past 10 years, said approximately 125 people took part in the four kilometre walk<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Alysia, organizers are expecting to raise $43,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe money goes to support all kinds of great things. Some of the money goes to the clinics across Canada that support adults and children with cystic fibrosis, and some of the money goes to research for new treatments or controls for the disease,\u201d she said<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news is there have been enormous strides in the fight to make CF history, according to paediatric respirologist Dr. April Price of Children\u2019s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf we catch it early, as we do now with our paediatric patients, and stabilize them, and ask them to do some treatments that clear out their lungs, then they actually are able to live full lives,\u201d Dr. Price explained. \u201cWe talk about cystic fibrosis as being a life-limiting disease, but now that we do newborn screening, and we have caught it actually at three weeks of life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Price explained that about one in 20 to one in 25 people are carriers for the disease, and if two of those carriers come together there\u2019s a one in four chance of having a baby with CF<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently, approximately 4,400 people across Canada have the disease<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for Kaylee, she was named the top youth fundraiser at Sunday\u2019s walk, coming up with more than $1,300 herself. She was delighted to see all the people taking part and showing their support<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd just all be together to help find a cure for this disease, it makes me feel good. I let people know what I\u2019m going through, and that they are helping,\u201d said Kaylee\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At just 12 years old, Kaylee Chappell already knows what it\u2019s like to live with a debilitating disease \u201cIt\u2019s hard at times because of constantly having to do treatments to make sure I can breathe, and obviously the feeling of being different, especially at this age when I\u2019m already feeling awkward,\u201d said Kaylee You wouldn\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":27417,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"","format":"standard","video":"","gallery":"","source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override_template":"0","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"topbottom","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_post_related":"0","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"override_image_size":"0","image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post":"0","trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post":"0","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo_enable":"0","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":"","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":"","hide":""},"jnews_social_meta":{"fb_title":"","fb_description":"","fb_image":"","twitter_title":"","twitter_description":"","twitter_image":""},"jnews_override_counter":{"override_view_counter":"0","view_counter_number":"0","override_share_counter":"0","share_counter_number":"0","override_like_counter":"0","like_counter_number":"0","override_dislike_counter":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"jnews_post_split":{"enable_post_split":"0","post_split":[{"template":"1","tag":"h2","numbering":"asc","mode":"normal","first":"0","enable_toc":"0","toc_type":"normal"}]},"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n