Anna is the 7th of 13 children- the middle of the family. She was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at a young age and lived every day facing a shortened lifespan.
You would never have known it.
Anna put forth all she could each day. She danced, she sang, she ran while Cystic Fibrosis fought to claim her lungs. At her first Cross Country race, spectators saw this tiny girl lined up to run at the hottest race of the year. They wondered how far she would make it. They saw her halfway still going strong. They saw her finish. They knew she was a fighter, and that she would beat anything in her way.
She graduated high school and college, becoming a licensed teacher while CF took her time and energy. During one of her college classes, Anna took "Selfies" on a regular basis. At the beginning of the semester those surrounding her looked at her skeptically, wary of the outgoing and imaginative woman sitting by them. But by the end of the term she had those who sat near her in a picture.
She was a daughter, sister, wife, aunt, godmother, and friend. Family was everything to her.
She had 'spunk,' a little bit (or a lot) of attitude, and she never backed down. During her first dance at her wedding, she surprised the crowd with an upbeat, goofy dance with her husband—a true testament of her spunky personality.
Anna fought to the end of life; she was afraid daily but fought for all the time she could have with those she loved. Cystic Fibrosis may have claimed Anna's life, but she lived with it better than many without the disease. For her, CF truly meant living Courage over Fear.
