About Jessica Makris
Born on February 22, 1984, Jessica Makris was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) at birth. Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States. A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life threatening lung infections. CF also obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.
As of 5:02 pm on the day of Jessica’s birth, the neonatal specialist had already left the hospital. Luckily he had forgotten something and came back into the building. He heard his name being paged overhead and took over her delivery. Because of a perforated intestine, her stomach was 4 inches larger than her head. Thus, her delivery was both difficult and traumatic. Jessica needed exploratory surgery almost immediately. After the surgery, the results were clear; she had CF and would probably not make it through the night. Despite a difficult birth, Jessica proved to be a miracle and made it through the first night and all the nights that followed. After two months in the neonatal intensive care unit, Jessica went home with her parents. A few years later, Jessica’s parents were blessed with the arrival of their son. Jessica's brother P.J. was also diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. According to Jessica, she thanks God everyday because she has him to share her life with. He always knows what she is going through and manages to find the humor in everything. When they were kids, Jessica said that he could even make being in the hospital fun.
Jessica feels that her parents are the most amazing people in the entire world. They have always been supportive of everything she wants to take on. As a kid her activities included ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics, cheerleading and track and field. She has always been really active, and credits that to be part of the reason she managed to stay relatively well throughout her youth. Additionally, she has always been a good patient, doing whatever it takes medically to maintain the health she has strived for. She spends between two and three hours a day doing aerosols and CPT, an hour a day getting exercise, and usually 2 doctor's appointments a week . She takes an exorbitant amount of pills each day, including digestive enzymes, antibiotics, and vitamins. Furthermore, Jessica is also diabetic. She must check her blood sugar regularly and gives herself between 5 and 7 insulin shots a day.
With the support of her family, Jessica left home to attend the University of Florida. Then during college she came down with a resistant strain of bacteria. She chose to fight it with aggressive antibiotics, the side effects of which cost her 35% of her hearing. There were many days when she could not even drag herself out of bed. With strong determination, Jessica graduated in 2007. Unfortunately, the bacteria did not abate and Jessica began an extensive IV antibiotic regime that is administered through a port catheter in her chest. She has been on these potent medicines for more than two years now with only minimal short respites.
Currently, Jessica is living in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida to be close to her family and friends, but is listed at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill for a life-saving double lung transplant. UNC is the best place for Jessica’s surgery, as they have done the most double lung transplants in CF patients with the specific bacteria that she is fighting, Unfortunately, she will have to make the move to North Carolina for at least 3 months prior and 3 months post for the transplant. The financial challenges involved in a transplant are staggering, not to mention the living expenses of being in North Carolina for at least 6 months. Jessica and her family are working hand in hand with the Children's Organ Transplant Association. With the cost of a transplant often exceeding $500,000, many transplant patients are unable to shoulder the financial burden of such a procedure. The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) is a national charity dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-needy patients. In Palm Beach Gardens, volunteers are raising an estimated $125,000 for transplant patient, local woman Jessica Makris.
In Jessica’s own words:
"I think that the most important thing CF has taught me is to roll with the punches- and I've been punched way too many times to count. Living with CF is taking one step forward and two steps back with everything. You just have to keep stepping forward even if it feels like there had been no progress. It's a delicate balancing act between taking care of yourself and living your life to the fullest. I've learned that no matter how hard you try to control your body it still fails you at times. The only thing that is within your power to change is how hard you try to do everything in your power to heal yourself and how you cope with the pitfalls."