Making a wish come true

Every morning, 14-year-old Alexa Rouggly, wakes up to her mother not only telling her to get up, but to complete her breathing treatments and exercises.

Shawn Jasperson, Rouggly's mom said Rouggly must complete the treatments twice a day so she stays healthy, but that can become a challenge as sometimes the teenager, like most her age, would rather just sleep.

"I just roll out of bed and do my medical stuff," Rouggly said.

Rouggly and her mother joked about how a typical morning conversation goes.

"Get up Alex," Jasperson says.

Silence.

"Come on. Come on, It's time to get up," Jasperson says.

A grunt from Alexa tells Jasperson she is up and ready to start her treatments.

The breathing treatments take about 30 minutes to complete. During the morning treatments, Rouggly wears a vest that vibrates her chest area, which is essential to keep the mucus broken up.

The next typical conversation goes something like this.

"Push the button," Jasperson says.

Silence again.

"You have to push the button," Jasperson says.

Another grunt comes from Alexa, but she pushes the button. The two laughed about how the mornings go and joked that the next door neighbors must get a kick out of their morning routine. Jasperson said they live in a townhouse and are sure the neighbors can hear some of their conversations. After she is ready, Rouggly makes her way to Lincoln Middle School.

The vest, which looks exactly like a life vest, Rouggly is wearing is hooked up to an air compressor and some hoses. While the vest creates vibrations on her chest, Rouggly must complete a series of breathing techniques designed to clean our her lungs.

Rouggly was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, which according to the Mayo Clinic's website "is a life-threatening disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs and digestive system. An inherited condition, cystic fibrosis affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat and digestive juices. These secreted fluids are normally thin and slippery. But in cystic fibrosis, a defective gene causes the secretions to become thick and sticky. Instead of acting as a lubricant, the secretions plug up tubes, ducts and passageways, especially in the lungs and pancreas."

The breathing exercises Rouggly completes, helps to prevent plug ups from happening.

Sometimes if Rouggly has been coughing a lot or feeling sick, she completes the breathing treatments three times a day.

"The longer (the mucus) hangs out the more damage it causes, which can create scar tissue on the lungs," Jasperson said. "It's all about staying healthy and keeping that junk out of her lungs."

Her nighttime breathing treatment consists of a Pulmozyme solution.

"It attacks that sticky mucus at its DNA level," Jasperson said.

Even though Rouggly does her breathing treatments every day, she said she doesn't think about it.

"I don't really notice it because I've been doing it for so long" she said.

Jasperson said she may not notice the difference it makes every day, but if she did not do the breathing treatments for months, problems would start to arise. She just coughs and coughs; and when she isn't coughing she is wheezing.

"It feels like something it sitting on my chest," Rouggly said.

When Rouggly isn't doing breathing treatments, she is probably about ready to take some more pills. Jasperson said Rouggly takes an average of 30 pills a day just so she can eat. She usually takes six every time she eats something so it will help her body absorb and break down the nutrients. Even with all of this going on, the two stay pretty positive.

"It doesn't really get too much in the way," Jasperson said. "Yeah, this is a part of her normal life, but we don't want it to get in the way."

However, her condition does determine where they can and cannot live.

Making sure Rouggly lives in good air-quality area is a top priority.

"If there is bad air quality. We have to avoid those areas," Jasperson said.

Rouggly was born in Anchorage, Alaska, but when they wanted to move closer to Wyoming, because Jasperson has family in Green River, they had to consider air quality.

They literally had to research which places had the best and worst air quality. They moved to Toelle, Utah, and enjoyed their time there, but they decided to move to Green River four years ago.

The Wish

Rouggly's story was brought to attention during the Make-A-Wish fundraising events. The community was proud to raise enough money for Rouggly's wish and others to come true.

Rouggly and Jasperson were invited to attend and take part in many of the events hosted. Seeing the community in action made them realize just how much this community cares about seeing other's wishes come true.

"We were taken aback by the communities involvement," Jasperson said. "I think I was almost in tears at least half of the time. The people here will go above and beyond for someone they don't even know."

So, what's Rouggly's wish?

"I'm going to Los Angeles to record a CD. Maybe with a famous singer in the Red Bull studio," Rouggly said excitedly.

Rouggly, who is in choir, couldn't believe she was selected to receive a wish. She would love to meet Hayley Williams of Paramore or Lana Del Ray, but would be happy with any famous singer.

When Rouggly was in the fifth grade they wanted her to apply for a Make-A-Wish, however, at that time Cystic Fibrosis wasn't on the approved list.

A few years later, when Rouggly turned 14, her Cystic Fibrosis specialist in Salt Lake City told her and Jasperson that Rouggly's name had been put in for Make-A-Wish after the disease was added to the organization's list.

"We've been working on this list for a year," Jasperson said.

When Jasperson received a call from a Make-A-Wish representative she couldn't believe they had been selected.

As for the details of the wish, Rouggly and Jasperson just do not know when or what exactly they will be doing.

"They keep it a surprise," Jasperson said.

Rouggly was told that she would get to have a pop-star makeover and meet someone famous. The latest information they received was she could complete her wish in April, but the date has already been moved back twice.

"You're kind of on somebody's else's time schedule," Jasperson said. "It's going to be a lot of surprises."