My 16 year old daughter has cheered on her school's varsity cheer team for 2

years.  She absolutely loves cheerleading and is her motivation to get up for

school when she feels bad.  When Make-A-Wish asked her what she wanted, she said

she wanted to be a high school cheerleader.  That's how much it means to her. 

Tryouts for next year were last week.  She was fighting a respiratory infection

and didn't perform as well as she could.  Due to her low try out score, they

didn't put her on the team next year.  I asked the principal to make an

exception since she has been a dedicated member of the team for 2 years.  She

said no.  She said she simply didn't have the score and wouldn't be put on the

team.  My daughter is absolsutely devasted.  You would think the school would be

more lenient to someone with CF.  Anybody have any suggestions?

--- In cysticfibrosissupport@yahoogroups.com, "revalane" <revalane@...>

Hi

I have some horror stories. It it is so unfair but remember those days well.

Sometimes I have to honestly say it was the teachers who were the wrost towards

me. easpecially in high school when I became much sicker. they didn't know how

ill. Just that I missed a lot of school, coughed a lot, couldn't run, and

gurgled. I can tell you high school they treated me like dirt, well some of them

anyways.



The teachers were far worse to me in high school, a few of them, then the

students. I am 31 so it wasn't that long ago. TXed at 26and on 02 at 19. I'd

love to go to the press and tell everyone how some of these REVERED teachers

treated me. The thing was. There was a kid was cancer. He was sick and dying but

b/c you could outwardly see how sick he was they bent over backwards for him and

they made fun of me and my cough and gurgles.



Becki



  wrote:

>

> My 16 year old daughter has cheered on her school's varsity cheer team for 2

years.  She absolutely loves cheerleading and is her motivation to get up for

school when she feels bad.  When Make-A-Wish asked her what she wanted, she said

she wanted to be a high school cheerleader.  That's how much it means to her. 

Tryouts for next year were last week.  She was fighting a respiratory infection

and didn't perform as well as she could.  Due to her low try out score, they

didn't put her on the team next year.  I asked the principal to make an

exception since she has been a dedicated member of the team for 2 years.  She

said no.  She said she simply didn't have the score and wouldn't be put on the

team.  My daughter is absolsutely devasted.  You would think the school would be

more lenient to someone with CF.  Anybody have any suggestions?

>

My daughter, too, has had problems with some of her teachers.  And I'm a teacher

myself!  I finally had to get my daughter an Individualized Health Plan.  Once

accomodations are made and the doctor signs it, teachers have to follow it and

it's a legal document.  If they violate it, the school, district, and/or teacher

can be sued.  It's a shame to have to go to such extremes to get teachers to do

the right thing!!!  So, I understand how you feel.  I haven't had much support

on the message board, but it doesn't seem fair that one girl had a broken ankle

and didn't try out, but was put on the team.  Another girl had a pulled groin

and the judges were notified to "cut her some slack."  How is having a

respiratory infection any different? 

 

I guess it's difficult to look at my daughter and see this tanned, beautiful,

blond girl that is always happy and realize how sick she really is.  In fact, it

motivated her to give an interview to our home town newspaper during May for

National CF Awareness Month. 

 

I am so sorry you had such a bad time in high school.  As if that time in your

life isn't hard enough!  My daughter says that nobody really understands the

medicine, therapy, PICC lines, doctor visits, intestinal issues, coughing, etc. 

A few weeks ago, one of her teachers made her sit out in the hall all period

because she was coughing and was afraid she'd make the other kids sick!!  How

ignorant!  It's had when you feel like nobody understand what you go through.

 

Hope you're doing well!!!

 

Thanks for letting me rant!  I'm still pretty mad about cheerleading and have

gone to the district office aobut it.  But...nothing.  My daughter is so sad

about not cheering and it breaks my heart.



--- On Tue, 6/2/09, missgoobergirl <bradleywsnyder@...> wrote:





From: missgoobergirl <bradleywsnyder@...>

Subject: [Cystic Fibrosis Support] Re: cf daughter not allowed to cheer

To: cysticfibrosissupport@yahoogroups.com

Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 8:16 PM

















--- In cysticfibrosissuppo rt@yahoogroups. com, "revalane" <revalane@.. .>

Hi

I have some horror stories. It it is so unfair but remember those days well.

Sometimes I have to honestly say it was the teachers who were the wrost towards

me. easpecially in high school when I became much sicker. they didn't know how

ill. Just that I missed a lot of school, coughed a lot, couldn't run, and

gurgled. I can tell you high school they treated me like dirt, well some of them

anyways.



The teachers were far worse to me in high school, a few of them, then the

students. I am 31 so it wasn't that long ago. TXed at 26and on 02 at 19. I'd

love to go to the press and tell everyone how some of these REVERED teachers

treated me. The thing was. There was a kid was cancer. He was sick and dying but

b/c you could outwardly see how sick he was they bent over backwards for him and

they made fun of me and my cough and gurgles.



Becki



wrote:

>

> My 16 year old daughter has cheered on her school's varsity cheer team for 2

years. She absolutely loves cheerleading and is her motivation to get up for

school when she feels bad. When Make-A-Wish asked her what she wanted, she said

she wanted to be a high school cheerleader. That's how much it means to her.

Tryouts for next year were last week. She was fighting a respiratory infection

and didn't perform as well as she could. Due to her low try out score, they

didn't put her on the team next year. I asked the principal to make an exception

since she has been a dedicated member of the team for 2 years. She said no. She

said she simply didn't have the score and wouldn't be put on the team. My

daughter is absolsutely devasted. You would think the school would be more

lenient to someone with CF. Anybody have any suggestions?

>







































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Hey Everyone!!!

As most of you know, Valerie has played on the junior varsity & later the

varsity fast and slow pitch softball teams since 7th grade, she started

soccer in the 9th grade and has been on the varsity team since starting.

She runs the laps, miles a day for soccer and one mile a day for softball in

season, sometimes she has to walk part of it because she can't run it.  The

coaches, as well as administration, all know about cystic fibrosis.  Some of

the teacher don't understand the details, one even is a science teacher but

seems to have no clue.  She will be a senior this coming August and since it

is her last year I can't wait for that part to be over.  She is my baby, the

last to graduate high school and I will cry, but I am ready for them to all

be in college so we can get on with the rest of life. :)

Luckily we have not had issues with Valerie trying out for the teams, she

has been able to perform at the same level as the other kids in most cases.

She does work hard at making it possible, goes in the hospital every 6-8

weeks and stays for a 10 day tune up, she takes all her meds and does her

treatments.  Valerie is one of the lucky ones, we know or have known lots of

other kids her age with CF and she is culturing the same germs as most of

her friends and has the diabetes part of it to deal with, but as an athlete

I think she pushes herself harder than some.

Now, I have heard many of her doctors over the years stress the importance

of keeping her active, in sports, and exercising more than normal.  I

honestly believe that because she has been so active that is why she seems

not to have the same problems as some of her friends with CF.  Her doctors

have written letters to the schools telling them about the benefits of

exercise for Valerie.

I am a teacher, also.  I don't teach in a classroom now because I was taking

care of my mom and Valerie, now just Valerie since my Mom passed away.

However, let me suggest how to handle this situation from a teacher point of

view?

Teachers and coaches are the world's worst when it comes to someone asking

for exceptions to be made, usually.  Principals often know how their staff

feels about these requests, and to make it easier on everyone they may say

no exceptions, as in your case.  The coach or principal may know that if an

exception were made for your child there would be other parents asking for

the same thing, for reasons just as valid to them as your reason is to you.

Also, could it be possible that if an exception were made for your child

that the other cheerleaders would somehow find out and give your child a

hard time?  Or, would their parents?  High school kids are the worst when it

comes to labeling someone, either with or without proof, and making life

hard for that student.

As a suggestion I would ask the doctor to write a letter to the school

board, superintendent, principal, cheerleading sponsor, etc.  Ask your

doctor to explain the lifelong benefits your child would receive from the

exercise.  It may help if you even wrote the letter for the doctor and had

them retype on their stationary and send from their office.  Our doctor

would want to write the letter himself, but some may not have time or want

to make the time.

I have three children, the last is fixing to begin her senior year.  All

have played sports through their entire life, school sports since 7th

grade.  Allen and Valerie were in the band since 6th grade but Valerie

didn't go back after her 9th grade year because they wanted her to be in the

"pit" because she was in the hospital when they had summer practice and

learned some of the formations for the next year.  Valerie felt like she was

being put in the "pit" because of CF, and because she had been playing the

flute and was not being asked to play the stationary instruments, she blamed

it on CF.  That was a hard time, until she realized she really didn't have

to be in the band, it would give her time with friends and such that she

didn't have because between band, softball, and soccer there was no friend

time.  We were lucky, it was sort of easily solved.

Just don't ask directly for an exception to be made, put it to them in a way

that makes it seem like they would be doing something good to give her

another chance to try out.  It may not be too late.  If I went to a school

person and asked for an exception to be made for Valerie I would be told no,

too.  I think you have to make them feel guilty, don't ask for exactly what

you want but give them enough information so that if they don't make an

exception they will feel bad.  Have the doctor write a letter, maybe even

have your daughter write a letter.  Valerie would probably not want to do

that, but it might be helpful.



Just my opinion, and suggestions of a mom who has been there.  My issues

with the coaches and such were more with my son and his sports than my girls

and their school activities.  I don't mean to be rude or tell you what to

do, just make suggestions.  Reading over what I wrote I realize some may be

taken the wrong way, but I did not intend it that way.  However, if I change

things the message will be lost.



Okay, ending this part of the book for now.... :)(



Good luck, and let me know if you want more of my opinions.... ::)

Love and Hugs,

Sue Pettit

Mom to Jennifer 22 wocf, Allen 18 wocf, & Valerie 17 wcf



Want the purple Cure CF bracelet??? ONLY $1.25 each, and that includes

shipping...  Contact me...spettit1 at gmail dot com   THANK YOU!!!

spettit1@...





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]