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Take a deep breath, then be thankful for it.

You can be sure that Catholic Central athletic director and head boys basketball coach Dan Shay is.

Shay was born with cystic fibrosis, an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system and causes the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections.

"I've kind of come to the realization that someday I may need a lung transplant or I may pass on because of it," said Shay. "It affects a lot of people in America. With no cure right now, all we can do is keep working on the medicine."

Shay and his wife, Rachel, are working hard. They, through the Springfield CF chapter and with the help of major sponsor G-Z Pete's, started an annual golf outing at Windy Knoll in 2004 to raise funds and awareness. This year's event will be held Saturday, July 19.

"It's more of an education thing, and also to raise funds for the research," said Shay. "A lot of people know what it is, but others don't. When I tell them about it, they can be kind of skeptical. But I enjoy talking about it."

It is a major imposition on Shay's already busy life.

"People don't realize the difficulties a CF patient goes through daily," said Shay. "In the morning, I usually get up 2½ to 3 hours before I go anywhere to take treatments (aerosol and a vest therapy).

"The humidity can be bothersome," he continued. "And you are always worried about bacteria. There are quite a few people who are part of our community that have had lung transplants already.

"You have to be real adamant that you do your treatments each day. I also try to run at least twice a week to break up the mucus."

Sports has actually been Shay's ally in his battle.

"The more active I was, the healthier I was," said Shay of his teens and 20s. "They strive to get kids today to be more active because it helps them break up the mucus. I was one of the fortunate ones."

The devastation of CF really hit home recently. The Shays' childhood friends, siblings Stephen Haemmerle and Janice Krumanaker, both had cystic fibrosis and died from it in 2007. Steve passed away July 29, during the week of last year's golf outing. Janice died just a couple of months earlier, on May 18.

"My wife and I actually had grown up with them," he said. "They are an awesome, down-to-earth family. We think about them every day."

The average life expectancy is about 38 years, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Web site, www.cff.org. Shay knows the statistics.

"It's lethal for everyone," said the 35-year-old Shay. "I think I have a milder case. I've only been to the hospital two times.

"It does change your way of thinking and it does change your outlook on life. You just try to live as normal as possible.

"Hopefully we'll find the cure someday, even if I'm not here."

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0364 or krowe@coxohio.com.