Aspen Hawkins is representing Covington in a big way.
Later this year, Aspen will be an ambassador for the Choate Construction Company’s Cars & ‘Q for the Cause event. The event raises money each year for the Georgia Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
At just 10 days old, Aspen was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a genetic disease that causes a buildup of thick mucus in the lungs and pancreas.
Prior to Aspen’s CF diagnosis, he underwent emergency surgery at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) and spent his first seven weeks in the hospital.
According to the CF Foundation, the buildup of mucus clogs airways in the lungs, which can trap bacteria and result in infections, inflammation and respiratory failure. In the pancreas, the mucus buildup blocks the body from absorbing key nutrients, resulting in malnutrition and poor growth.
To curb these symptoms, people living with CF, like 12-year-old Aspen, undergo daily treatments. For Aspen, this looks like wearing a high-frequency chest wall oscillation for 30 minutes, twice a day.
Simply put, he wears an inflatable vest attached to a machine that vibrates the chest at a high frequency to thin the mucus.
In addition to the vest, Aspen does daily breathing treatments and takes over 20 pills every day.
Aspen is now taking a drug called Trikafta, which halts the progression of CF. However, not every person with CF has access to advanced medical care such as this.
Besides following a daily, detailed medical regimen that most cannot begin to fathom, Aspen enjoys typical 12-year-old boy hobbies. His mother, Lindsey, says he is creative and loves spending time outdoors.
“If he is not doing school, he is playing with our dog, Duke, hunting or fishing,” Lindsey Hawkins said.
The Hawkins family makes fighting CF a “family affair” and takes part in events like the Cars & ‘Q for the Cause event.
“Fighting for a cure is our passion,” Lindsey Hawkins said. “And we won’t stop until the mission is accomplished.”
According to a Cars & ‘Q for the Cause press release, for 15 years the Choate Construction Company has been hosting the Cars & ‘Q for the Cause event where attendees can enjoy a car show, live music and food and drinks. Last year, the event brought in $724,144 for the Georgia Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
The 16th annual Cars & ‘Q for the Cause will be held on Saturday, Oct. 25, at Choate Construction’s headquarters in Sandy Springs.
Lindsey Hawkins wants people to know that CF patients like her son are in a constant fight. That is why her family’s dedication to fighting for a CF cure will only let up when one is found.
“I want people to know that CF is a whole body disease,” Lindsey Hawkins said. “Even though CF patients can look healthy and perfectly normal, their bodies never stop fighting.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
