The Sand Family
The Sand family from South Dakota writes:Greetings from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA! We appreciate the opportunity to share our story and we look forward to making new friends from Australia.
We are a family of three, my name is Dean, my spouse is Mary and our daughter who has CF is Lydia. Lydia is 14. Lydia was misdiagnosed until age 9. We kept telling the doctors and other healthcare professionals about the symptoms she was having but no one was able to determine the underlying cause of her symptoms. By chance, we met an allergy doctor who asked us a lot of puzzling questions and then ordered a simple sweat test to confirm she has CF.
One of the most difficult days of our lives was telling our daughter she has CF. As a family we cried a lot. From this very deep emotional pit, we have continued to trust in God and do all we can do to “get smart and keep a positive attitude”. This is our family motto.
Once Lydia was diagnosed and started chest percussion and oral enzymes she started growing. She grew taller and gained 9.98 kilograms in six months. Prior to her diagnosis we were removing fatty foods from her diet to help prevent painful stomach aches. We also couldn’t understand why she was hungry all the time. Today Lydia is 155 centimeters and weighs 47.63 kilograms.
Since her diagnosis in 2001, Lydia has continued to overcome obstacles brought on by CF. At first she did not want to tell her friends about her condition. She was afraid they would not like her because of it. After trusting in a few close friends with her secret, she began to gradually open up and tell more of her school classmates. She found that her friends continued to be her friends and were very understanding when it was time to do her percussion and nebulizer treatments and take her many pills. Now Lydia is very open to talking about CF, educating those who will listen and is actively involved in fundraising efforts to help in finding a cure.
This fall Lydia entered 9th grade at Washington High School and participated in marching band. She plays percussion and is part of the front ensemble. There were many long days which truly tested her physical and mental stamina. She chooses to be involved in school, church and community activities. As her parents, we support her choices while trying to balance the unknowns related to her growing up with CF.
Most recently Lydia was granted a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Dakota. Lydia’s wish was to meet the actress Jennifer Garner and cast from the hit television show “Alias”. On November 2nd Lydia’s wish came true. She met Jennifer and cast on the production set in Hollywood, California. We toured the studio, received souvenirs and were treated like royalty. She hasn’t stopped smiling yet.
We have much more to share about ourselves and are very willing to respond to emails sent to us. Please contact us, we are willing to share in the joys of life and also offer support when times are tough.
Sincerely,
Dean, Mary and Lydia Sand
