Myres' Story

Then
Myres and his fun IV pole Myres and his cool IV pole
Now

Myres story:

Myres was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) July 4th weekend of 2000. After he was diagnosed, Myres spent the better part of the next 2 years in and out of the hospital. For six of those months, Myres couldn't eat real food and got fed through an IV (see the THEN pictures above). While in the hospital, Myres was diagnosed as having Fibrosing Colonopathy. At the time, he was the first patient in Mississippi to be diagnosed with this problem. He was also the youngest person to ever be diagnosed with this problem in the United States. Because of all the different complications associated with Fibrosing Colonopathy, he ended up having numerous surgeries, the worst of which took out over a third of his colon. Our scariest moment was when Myres' blood pressure dropped real low, and we ended up in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for about a week and a half...we came real close to losing him during those 10 days. Because of his experience in the hospital, Myres has been poked and prodded so many times that his chest and stomach look like a pin cushion from all the scars. The good news is that Myres is doing GREAT right now. By just looking at him, you would never know that anything is wrong (see the NOW pictures above). He just enjoys life as an 9 year old. If you want to see Myres' story in pictures, check it out.

What is Cystic Fibrosis?

CF is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the US (70,000 worldwide). a defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that:
- Clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections
- Obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food

In the 1950s, few children with CF lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhance and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s, and beyond. As a matter of fact, the median age of survival for someone with CF is now at 37 years, and it's getting better and better each year.

If you would like more information on Cystic Fibrosis, click on the CF Foundation link at the bottom of the page.

If you are interested in making a donation in honor of Myres, please follow one of the links below, and make a donation to my work team (MWP Team) or our family team (Gelaina's Team). Our goals for this year are to raise $35,000 through my MWP team and $5,000 for our family team. Thanks for the support!

If you would like to make a donation to the team sponsored by McGowan Working Partners, please click the "Make a donation to the MWP Team" button to make an online donation for Myres.

If you are making a donation to the team sponsored by the Allen family, please click the "Make a donation to Gelaina's Team" button to make an online donation.