Over the years, Christena's family has grown to include many nurses. While they have always been there for her
during hospital stays, they have also been there during special times in her life.
Christena has been very blessed over the years to have such wonderful healthcare workers in her
life. Many of her nurses, therapists and even doctors have become an important part of her life. They
have celebrated birthdays, helped do make-up for dances, taken her shopping, taken her to haunted
houses, visited her when she was home sick, and she even had a visit from a KY nurse to St. Louis
and St. Louis nurse to KY!
Christena has always used her illnesses to do something positive. While there have been many times
she has been home on i.v's, she has continued to go to school, doing her i.v. medications at school all
the while teaching her classmates about her illness. She has walked in many c.f. walk-a-thons, has
been camp counselor at asthma camp, she has taught nursing students from Bellermine and
University of Louisville about c.f. and asthma, and even did a power-point presentation in class on
lung transplant.
First picture, one month prior to transplant, second, about two weeks prior and last two right before being wheeled
into the operating room for her new lungs.
By the time Christena was listed for transplant she was on oxygen 24 hours a day, in a wheelchair
and was on i.v.'s almost non-stop. She couldn't walk from one room to another without getting out of
breath and coughing uncontrollably. Her lung functions had dropped to only 16%!
Christena went active on the lung transplant list on Monday, June 7, 2005 and she got "the call" on
June 13th! One hour after surgery as she lay in the PICU at St. Louis Children's Hospital she opened
her eyes, smiled at her Daddy and myself, blew us a kiss and signed I love you! She later told us that
was so we would know she was okay. As usual, worrying about everyone else.
Living life to the fullest!!
Since transplant she has enjoyed every breath she has been given! She is living life to the fullest and
making memories each and every day. While we don't know what tomorrow holds, we hold to the
words of her surgeon, "It isn't the quantity of life, but the guality of life that counts in a transplant
patient." Each day is a special gift that we have been given by God. Christena is not taking this gift for
granted. But seeing the life she has lived over the last seventeen years, I am not one bit surprised.......
Christena,
I am so very proud of you and I love you more than you
will ever know! Continue to take each day you have been
given and live it to the fullest! You are an amazing young
lady filled with more strength than I have ever seen. Always
have faith and keep believing, your journey has just begun!!
I love you,
Momma
The
future
is
yours!!!!