Thirteen-Year-Old Cystic Fibrosis Patient Needs Transplant

By Nicol Jenkins
Editor

Brieanna Yowell of Coral Springs acts like your typical 13-year-old.

She likes hanging out with friends, going to the movies and most of all cheerleading.

However, Brieanna also has the weight of an illness on her shoulders.

She was born with Cystic Fibrosis and on a daily basis she struggles with breathing.

“I feel out of breath most of the time. I can never catch my breath, which makes it really hard,” Brieanna told the Our Town News, while she was in the hospital awaiting treatment.

Brieanna receives breathing treatments and respiratory therapy at the hospital almost every six weeks. After years of treatment, her doctors have recommended a double lung transplant, which will take place at Shands Children’s Hospital. She is currently on the transplant list.

The cost of a transplant can often exceed $500,000 for both the operation and the post operative aftercare. Friends of Brieanna with the assistance of the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) have come together to assist Brieanna. Her family and supporters will host two upcoming fundraisers. The first will be held March 25 at The Country Club of Coral Springs starting at 7 p.m. and cost $55 at the door and $45 in advance. The fundraiser will offer food, a silent auction, poker, raffle, and live entertainment. All proceeds from this event will go towards paying for a lung transplant for the local girl.

The second event called Clean-Up For A Cure will be held at various Coral Springs parks April 19 from 8 a.m. to noon. Students and organizations will get sponsorships to clean-up local parks. That same day, a separate event will be held around 7 p.m. which will celebrate Brieanna’s birthday with bands, food, a bounce house and possibly a cheerleading exhibition.

Beth Yowell hopes many residents will come out to support her younger sister. The family is hoping to exceed $75,000. So far, they have reached about $56,000.

“We’re getting close. The fundraising will help pay for whatever insurance doesn’t pay for, including any medication insurance won’t cover,” she said. “In reality we’d like to go over so Bri will use the money the rest of her life for medication.”

Despite the illness, Brieanna has been upbeat and is ready to cheer again.

“She’s really positive,” said mom Connie Yowell.

Big sister Beth added, “She’s a fighter. She always tells me that she’ll be cheering again, but says she needs her new lungs first.”

This was actually the first year, Brieanna could not be on the cheerleading team because of shortness of breath.

But Brieanna believes she will cheer again and hopes that day will be near.

“I want to go back to school, and I want to cheer too,” she said. “One of my goals is to be able to cheer again because when I cheer I forget about the pain and struggling that I have to deal with in my life. I always feel like a different person when I cheer. Instead of the sick Brieanna, I feel like the strong Brieanna who can stand up to anything.”

For more informaton on the upcoming fundraisers or to donate to the cause, visit www.cotaforbrieannay.com or call 954-815-6901.