CCA Blog

I am so inspired by the kids we serve! We are so lucky to work with kids who want to give back to CCA! One of my heroes, Phoebe, volunteered to speak to CCA leaders and new friends at an event for CCA Saturday night. Unfortunately, Phoebe, who lives with CF, experiencing one of her frequent hospital stays…and was not well enough for a hall pass to come to our event. So, she sent her speech with her wonderful boyfriend whose band Jokers and Jacks played awesome music for us to enjoy. Thank you, Phoebe, for sharing your thoughtful words.

Warmly,

Mary Turina, CCA’s President & Chief Operating Officer

Hello everyone!  I want to thank you for coming out and supporting CCA tonight.  I wish I could be here, but unfortunately I’m in the hospital.  For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Phoebe Mattera.  I was born with Cystic Fibrosis and have lived here in Portland since I was five years old.  Now that I am twenty, I am a veteran of extended hospital stays.  My first hospitalization occurred when I was almost two years old.  My mother and I have always “moved in” carrying wagon loads of bedding and room décor to help make it as cozy and home-like as possible.  She has stayed with me through most of my hospitalizations; always with me when I was little, and comes for hours each day these days.  It seems like our life revolves around CF, even though we have as active a lifestyle as can be permitted.  We stay positive and have found that one of the best things we can do for ourselves is to help other people.  We have been helped and supported by others and by organizations such as CCA, and it feels good to have opportunities to give back, especially when we know how much it means to other kids!

My experiences range from being a Community Hero, having CCA volunteers come and visit me in the hospital, getting tickets to a James Taylor concert which I attended with my boyfriend (JT is one of his favorite performers); but it was through their Music Rx program that I was first introduced to CCA.  Music is such a huge part of our lives and to have it here in the hospital was such a welcome contrast to the hospital environment!  The staff at CCA are great and I consider them my friends.  I have participated in some CCA fundraising events through speaking at events or during the Valentine’s Day for CCA Radio-a-thon.  Most recently I had the immense honor of being there teen blogger from January to April, which was very therapeutic for me.  I was able to make one of the most important decisions of my life through blogging for CCA, and that was the decision to pursue getting a lung transplant.  That just further demonstrates that when you volunteer to help, you get more in return.  I am very grateful to CCA for all that they have done for me, the doors they have opened for me, the things I have discovered and accomplished through my engagement with them.  They are truly a unique group dedicated to kids like me, and the impact that they have on our lives is profound and lasting.