Chapter 3: Free to Play: The Role of Physical Activity in the Lives of Children With Chronic Illnesses

Layla is a 15-year-old girl living with severe cystic fibrosis (CF) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her parents emigrated from Afghanistan several years ago. They live in a low-income housing project in an impoverished neighborhood in the city. Layla has six other siblings, one of whom also has CF. Layla complied with the hospital’s request to do daily treatment until she was about 12-years-old. After the age of 12, she began to fully comprehend the effects of CF. On a cold winter day in Toronto—when interviewing Layla for a research study—she came to a profound conclusion. She said that since CF is life limiting and the outcome is always negative, there is simply “no point” in doing therapeutic treatments for her illness. She proceeded to disclose how she often throws medication away or flushes it down the toilet. During an 8-week counseling intervention, Layla became more physically active. She also demonstrated enhanced quality of life and a broadened sense of personal health and well-being. She began to recognize the importance of physical activity as a tool to aid in self-care. Despite the important gains that Layla made during a physical activity counseling intervention, her carriage was always one of great despair, sadness, and despondency.