ADDIE PETERSON, 15, As first-time parents, Addie’s mother and father weren’t sure what was normal, but they instinctively knew something was not right with their newborn. She could not stop coughing. Months went by with no improvement and no answers. Finally, at age 1, Addie was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a serious lung disease with no cure, but a treatment plan that promised to extend her life. Addie wakes at 6:30 a.m. to take enzymes, antibiotics, steroids, vitamins and reflux medicine. After breakfast comes a one-hour nebulizer treatment to clear her lungs. At school she takes more pills and blows into a tube that forces her to cough. Once back home, she does another round with the nebulizer. Then more pills at dinner. And another nebulizer before bed. She periodically sleeps with a feeding tube to maintain proper nutrition.
Despite all of this, her illness does not define her. She is an accomplished violinist in a performing youth orchestra. She taught herself to play piano. She draws and writes poetry. She loves to ride her longboard to the local hangout with her friends. She dreams of going to Italy someday. At 15, she is on the cusp of becoming a young adult and is proud of her recently acquired driver’s permit. She is beginning to think about things like college and life beyond her parents’ house. In other words, aside from being a patient, she is a thriving, curious, creative “girl-soon-to-be-young woman.”
Addie’s playfulness and sophistication shines on her design of the Women’s Nike Air Max Thea, complete with heel-to-toe polka dots and a black lace pattern backed with reflective material. Her mantras — “fight like a girl” and “just breathe” — is emblazoned on each shoe, along with a music-inspired logo on the heel and a picture of her dog, Toby, on the tongue. Addie’s collection also includes a hoody adorned with music notes and a backpack with a picture of her other dog, Mickey.