Cystic Fibrosis

SMITHSBURG Walking briskly along the side of a street Saturday afternoon, Kaelii Stout, a 10-year-old girl with cystic fibrosis, said she's felt pretty good lately. Kaelii was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system, when she was 2 months old, said her mother, Paula Stout, chairperson of the Great Strides Walk that was held Saturday afternoon at the Smithsburg Lions Club Park. The 10-year-old girl straps on a vest for 45 minutes each day that vibrates her lungs and loosens mucous.

tiffanya@herald-mail.com HAGERSTOWN - At first glance, a daily struggle for normalcy appears unlikely for Beth Heinen. Beth, 13, is an attractive teenager - tall and slim with a striking smile. She's a competitive cheerleader who likes the Backstreet Boys and listens to 50 Cent and Britney Spears. She spends hours on the phone with her girlfriends gushing about cute boys. She also has a boyfriend named Brian. But Beth has cystic fibrosis, a terminal illness that causes the lungs to fill up with sticky fluid.

SMITHSBURG - Kaelii Stout was 1 month old when she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Today, she's an active 11-year-old who enjoys playing soccer and doing fun things with her friends at Springfield Middle School in Williamsport. Kaelii was among the 100 individuals who participated Saturday in the sixth annual Great Strides Walk to benefit cystic fibrosis. The fundraiser was at Smithsburg Lions Club Park and featured a one-mile walk, a live auction, an appearance by Ronald McDonald and food.

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. -- Hundreds of people jammed into the Shepherdstown Train Station on Saturday to eat chili for a good cause. Patti Simmons, chairwoman of the Hot Monkey BIG Chili Cook-Off, said the fundraiser has been held for the last seven years to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis. Simmons said her 11-year-old granddaughter, Shepherdstown resident Faith Stone, was diagnosed with the disease shortly before birth. "The whole community comes out and supports us," Simmons said.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Jordy Carper, an 11-year-old Hedgesville boy hospitalized since April 2 with a collapsed lung and infection, was upgraded to stable condition Sunday night and transferred to a regular room. Jordy received a double-lung transplant in June. He had been in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., until Sunday night. "They've pretty much found what the problem was. It was a virus that got into his bloodstream and made him very ill," said Larry Hoerner, a guidance counselor at Tuscarora Elementary School who had home-schooled Carper since February.

By DAVE McMILLION Staff Writer, Martinsburg MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Ten-year-old Jordy Carper, who hopes to undergo a rare lung transplant operation to help him fight cystic fibrosis, appeared before a national television audience Wednesday morning to tell his story. Jordy's mother, Melissa Carper and grandmother, who wish to donate part of their lungs to the Hedgesville, W.Va., boy, also appeared with Jordy on ABC's "Good Morning America. " The Carpers were asked how they felt about the operation after they were told what they will go through.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The 11-year-old Hedgesville boy who received a double-lung transplant two months ago was in critical but stable condition at a Washington, D.C., hospital Tuesday. Jordy Carper had been in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Children's National Medical Center since Thursday with an infection and a collapsed lung. On Tuesday afternoon, his condition was upgraded to critical but stable. The slight improvement came as no surprise to Larry Hoerner, a guidance counselor at Tuscarora Elementary School who has home-schooled Jordy since February.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Eleven-year-old lung transplant patient Jordy Carper was put on a respirator at a Los Angeles hospital after he complained of feeling tired, a hospital spokeswoman said Monday. But beyond that, officials at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles would not comment on Jordy's prognosis. --cont. from news page -- The Hedgesville, W.Va., boy remained in serious condition at the hospital Monday afternoon. "They're usually very hesitant to get involved in a prognosis.

Concert and show choir festival Thirty-five choirs perform. Today, 9 a.m. Martinsburg (W.Va.) High School auditorium. The Martinsburg High School Good Times Show Choir performs today at 8:45 p.m. $7, all-day admission; $5, admission after dinner break. Trains for everyone H0- and O-scale model railroads, trains for children to operate, historic railroad artifacts, photos and equipment. Today and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, 300 S. Burhans Blvd.

By BRYN MICKLE / Staff Writer, Martinsburg photo: RIC DUGAN / staff photographer MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A Berkeley County boy who received a rare double lung transplant was in critical condition and on a ventilator Wednesday as doctors at a Washington, D.C., hospital attempted to stabilize him in the hope he could go home for hospice care, the boy's grandmother said. [cont. from front page ] Jordy Carper, 11, was flown by helicopter Monday to Children's National Medical Center after he began having breathing problems, Sherilyn Barnhart said.

Catie Breslin is living proof there have been advances in cystic fibrosis research. When she was born, the average age a person with CF expected to live was age 18. Today, it's 37. That's why the 21-year-old Hagerstown native is hoping that people will dig into their pockets for the chance to sweat for the Zumbathon for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The event is from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 18, at St. Mary's Catholic School in Hagerstown. According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, CF is an inherited, chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the U.S. and 70,000 worldwide.

More than 300 walkers participated Saturday afternoon in the annual Great Strides Walk to benefit cystic fibrosis programs and research. About $45,000 was raised at the walk at Veterans Park, said Paula Kriner, chairwoman for the Washington County area of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Proceeds raised from the walk will be used to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Kriner said. The money will be used for research, care and education regarding the disease, she said. Despite the threat of rain, Kriner said turnout for the walk wasn't affected.

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - The annual HBS Remembering Michael 5K to Cure Cystic Fibrosis was held Sept. 4, in Shepherdstown. Forty-five runners participated and raised more than $3,000 in cash and in-kind contributions. The 5K's first-place winner was Ryan McCarthy, who finished in 21 minutes, 32 seconds. The first-place female was Misty Lowman with a time of 22:33. The annual race is held in honor of Michael Hendrick, a dedicated employee and inspirational friend of Brett Hersh, owner of Hersh Business Services.

SMITHSBURG -- Kaelii Stout seems to have it all. The 16-year-old Williamsport High School student is a soccer player and a runner on a Maryland state championship-winning relay team. She is bright and articulate, and dreams of becoming an elementary school teacher. She was excited to go to her high school prom Saturday night with a group of friends. Though she's got all this, she also has something else that is decidedly less coveted. Before she was 2 months old, Kaelii was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, an inherited respiratory and digestive disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in her lungs and digestive tract.

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. -- Hundreds of people jammed into the Shepherdstown Train Station on Saturday to eat chili for a good cause. Patti Simmons, chairwoman of the Hot Monkey BIG Chili Cook-Off, said the fundraiser has been held for the last seven years to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis. Simmons said her 11-year-old granddaughter, Shepherdstown resident Faith Stone, was diagnosed with the disease shortly before birth. "The whole community comes out and supports us," Simmons said.

HAGERSTOWN -- Music usually is played inside at Hager Hall & Conference Center on Dual Highway, but on Sunday it blared away in a parking lot. Five bands played over a span of seven hours during a daylong party at the local venue that includes Cancun Cantina West and Barefoot Bernie's. "It started (when) we wanted to have a big party out here," said Jennifer Hare, co-owner of Hager Hall. When it was discovered that two members of one of the bands have cystic fibrosis, Hager Hall's Brew and BBQ Backyard Bash turned into a fundraiser to fight the battle against the disease, Hare said.

Trains for everyone H0- and O-scale model railroads, trains for children to operate, historic railroad artifacts, photos and equipment. Today, Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, 300 S. Burhans Blvd., Hagerstown. $3.50, adults; $50 cents, ages 4 to 12; free for ages 3 and younger. Call 301-739-4665. Concert, show choir festival Thirty-five choirs perform. Today, 5:15 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. Martinsburg (W.Va.) High School auditorium.

SMITHSBURG - The Washington County chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation drew 175 walkers and raised $35,000 on Saturday to be used for research to find a cure. "We reached our goal," said Paula Kriner, chairwoman of the Great Strides Walk. Walkers solicited sponsors for their mile and a half trek through Smithsburg Lions Community Park, where they were treated to lunch followed by an afternoon auction of items donated by local merchants. The auction alone raised $3,400, Kriner said.