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It's very scary to
fight so hard for your life,

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meaning to do everything
that I possibly can

3
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yet still not be able to
fend off these tiny microbes

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that exist in my body.

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My name is Ella Balasa
and I have cystic fibrosis,

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which is a rare
genetic lung disease.

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I was diagnosed at 18 months old
and this condition causes

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drug-resistant infections
in my lungs.

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Drug-resistant infections
are caused by germs that

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do not respond to the drugs
that are designed to kill them.

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And these infections
can be difficult

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or impossible to treat.

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The bacteria that
I harbor in my lungs can

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never be fully eradicated.

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Growing up I always
felt a little different,

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I would have to be
hospitalized multiple times

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a year sometimes.

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At 12 years old I had 54%
lung function because

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of the infections that had
deteriorated my lung tissue.

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So, that was kind of what made,
in my mind, you know,

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made me realize
the severity of what living

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with this disease would
mean for my future.

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In my early 20s these
infections became harder

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and harder to treat.

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I would have to be on longer
and longer courses

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of antibiotics
to effectively treat them.

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2019, I got a
very bad infection,

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I had 18% lung function.

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I was using supplemental
oxygen constantly.

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Looking back it's hard
to even fathom how sick

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I was and how truly
on the verge of life

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or death my situation was.

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I remember being on
intravenous antibiotics,

34
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inhaled antibiotics
and oral antibiotics.

35
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I wasn't experiencing
any improvement

36
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in my symptoms at all.

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I wasn't sure that
I would survive.

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As of the last few years,
the severity of the infections

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that I'm experiencing
are manageable,

40
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partly due to a new treatment
that was approved

41
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for the underlying cause
of cystic fibrosis.

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That allowed me
to live independently,

43
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and move to a different
state by myself,

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and to pursue the work
that I am passionate about.

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I love to spend time outside,
take walks, be outside,

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spend time with friends,
go to coffee shops,

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restaurants, explore new spots.

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But really, the ocean is,
like, my tranquil place.

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I try to live
my life day-to-day,

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and I don't dwell on
the future and what could be.

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I try to do what I can
today to stay alive

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and to stay healthy, and live
my life to its fullest.

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Drug-resistant infections
can happen to anybody.

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Drug-resistant bacteria are
present everywhere around us.

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One way that we can prevent
drug-resistant infections

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is by using antibiotics
and antifungals appropriately.

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Everyone plays
a role in preventing

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drug-resistant
infections from spreading.

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It's imperative to preserve
these medications and treatments

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so that they can stay effective
for helping individuals

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like me who need
these medications

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and for everybody else.