Patient of the Week – Adrianna Scott

By CDH/PIO
July 30, 2009

 

Adrianna Scott

As an infant, Adrianna Scott of Xenia struggled to eat and cried more often than other babies. Heather, Adrianna’s mother, knew something was wrong with her baby when the crying did not stop and feeding time became a hassle. Heather realized that she needed to find out why Adrianna was not feeling well, so she went to The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton.

After numerous tests came back negative, the doctors at Dayton Children’s had one more test that they could do for Adrianna. This final test came back positive and Adrianna, just 6 months old, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis is a chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. The disease produces thick mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections and obstructs the pancreas from breaking down and digesting food.

Adrianna does breathing treatments twice a day to help loosen the thick mucus from her lungs. Along with the breathing treatments, Adrianna also takes up to eight different medications a day to help her live with cystic fibrosis. The medications help her digest food properly and stay healthy when even a cold can be life-threatening to her body. Adrianna also wears a special vest that helps to shake the mucus from her lungs so she can breathe better.

“Daily breathing treatments, multiple medications, and being cautious of any common cold has just become a part of our everyday routine,” says Heather.
When Adrianna was just 2 years old, her baby twin sisters were also diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. The twins were cared for in the Regional Level III Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Dayton Children’s.

“The nurses in the NICU were very nice and comforting during this tough time in our lives.”

All three girls are under the care of Robert Fink, MD, director of pulmonary medicine at Dayton Children’s.

“Dr. Fink accommodates our challenging family health situation by spending time with us and answering our questions,” says Heather.

Today, Adrianna is a busy 12-year-old and will not let cystic fibrosis prevent her from accomplishing her goals. She balances going to school at Warner Middle School and competitive cheerleading practices every week. She also has a great love for animals and her two favorite animals are polar bears and penguins. Adrianna dreams of becoming a zoologist one day so she can work with the animals she loves.

“I have really enjoyed getting to know the nurses at Dayton Children’s. They are always really nice and make me feel at home when I am in the hospital, it’s too hard to pick one favorite nurse because they are all great,” says Adrianna.

Source: Children Dayton Hospital

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