Scholarship Contender With Cystic Fibrosis Thriving

Scholarship Contender With Cystic Fibrosis Thriving

By Eric Breier

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Lola Ferguson was a regular at the hospital as a child. She was used to taking 50 pills a day, undergoing hours of treatments and numerous doctors' appointments.

It was just part of her normal daily life.

"I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis before I was even born," Ferguson said.

Also known as CF, cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the body's mucus-producing glands, causing damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs.

Ferguson still takes medication and has treatments, but medical advances allow her to live a relatively normal life as a college student in her second year at Cal State San Marcos.

In fact, Ferguson is doing so well that she is among the candidates for the AbbVie CF Scholarship, which honors students who are thriving with cystic fibrosis. Public voting accounts for about 30% of the evaluation. Supporters can vote online for Ferguson or by texting "VOTE23" to 35309 through Sept. 18. Winners will be announced Oct. 23. Other evaluation factors are based on academic record and extracurricular activities, an essay and a creative presentation.

Ferguson received a $3,000 AbbVie scholarship last year and is hoping this year to win the top award, a $22,000 "Thriving Student Scholarship."

"AbbVie is a pharmaceutical company, and I have taken their meds in the past, so it was just sort of a household name for me," Ferguson said. "To have a scholarship like that and be involved with a company like that is really nice."

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the predicted survival age for people with cystic fibrosis was about 28 years old. Ferguson represents a new generation of young adults with CF who, thanks to medical advances, are living significantly longer. Life expectancy has improved to about 68, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Ferguson has seen firsthand the improvements. The more than four dozen daily pills she took as a child is down to 20. She said CF primarily affects her lungs and digestive system, and she also has a mild case of diabetes related to it. In addition to the medication, she does an hour of daily treatment and closely watches her diet.

"I don't even drink caffeine," she said. "I can't miss out on my health because it'll plummet really fast."

Ferguson has found a supportive environment at CSUSM. Disability Student Services ensured that she received a single room in campus housing, which was vital because of the daily treatment she requires. A literature and writing studies major, Ferguson was thrilled to land an on-campus job in Kellogg Library during her first year and she also started writing this fall for CSUSM's student newspaper, "The Cougar Chronicle."

"I've learned to manage things and understand what I can and can't do," Ferguson said. "And I haven't really had a problem in a long time because of all my treatments and medications."

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