Tennis adds tomorrows at The Greens

Symptoms of cystic fibrosis are eased by cardio activity

by Lisa Janssen

Siblings Lauren and Will Harvey, 9 and 13 years old, are just like any other kids in many ways.

They attend school, have a group of good friends and enjoy certain hobbies. Will is independent, academically gifted and races mini sprint cars competitively with his father. Lauren is a social butterfly who loves to tease and play. But when it comes to everyday things most kids and even adults don't think twice about, such as eating three meals a day and breathing easily, the Harveys are different.

Lauren and Will were diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as infants. CF is a chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. A defective gene and its protein cause the body to create unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe. Mucus-producing cells also line the stomach and pancreas, clogging passageways and interfering with the digestion of food and the intake of necessary vitamins and nutrients.

Physical activity was once considered dangerous for people with cystic fibrosis, due to breathing problems. In fact, the opposite is found to be true. Cardio activities like running, swimming and tennis are beneficial to the overall health of CF patients.

The movement involved in tennis - running, swinging, etc. - acts as a natural form of chest physiotherapy, and helps to break up mucus in the lungs so that people can breathe easier. It also stimulates coughing to clear airways and improves heart health by lowering blood pressure and strengthening the heart.

Lauren and Will Harvey (front) battle cystic fibrosis
with help from their parents, Dr. Mark and Diane Harvey,
and USPTA Professional Suzanne LaBelle, whose
tournaments have raised $50,000 to benefit
the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

In addition to taking daily medications and doing breathing treatments, the Harvey children find relief from their symptoms at The Greens Country Club in Oklahoma City, where they play tennis several times a week.

Parents Diane and Mark Harvey say the sport provides Lauren and Will with not only physical benefits, but - perhaps more importantly - the emotional and mental well-being that comes from participating in regular activities. This is especially true for children; being able to play sports with others allows them to feel like part of a team - to feel normal.

"From young ages we've tried to always encourage them to be physically active," said Mark Harvey, who is a medical doctor. "If you saw them play tennis, you would never have any idea that they have any kind of illness."

Suzanne LaBelle, tennis director at The Greens and a USPTA Professional, met the Harvey children in 2005.

LaBelle said she was so moved by their disease that she decided to dedicate an annual adult tennis tournament to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. At the end of 2009, The Greens' CF tournaments will have raised more than $50,000 over the past four years, and participation has more than doubled since the first event.

"The Greens is all about family and supporting each other in times of need," LaBelle said. "This tournament is a way for us to give back to the Harveys and let them know that we care, all while having fun playing tennis."

Interest in the CF tennis tournament at The Greens is so great, LaBelle said, she organized another tennis tournament just for junior players to benefit the foundation. This inaugural junior tournament took place the last weekend in August.

"Suzanne has such a heart for this and such enthusiasm," Dr. Harvey said. "We could not have asked for a better champion of our cause."

Cystic fibrosis affects about 30,000 children and adults in the United States and 70,000 people worldwide.

"Living with cystic fibrosis is very challenging," said Celia Palmer, executive director of the Oklahoma City Sooner Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. "Families and patients with CF put a lot of time, money and emotional energy into treating the disease."

While no cure has been found yet, medical advances have extended and enhanced the lives of CF patients. The disease is life-threatening, but many people can now expect to reach middle age.

Dr. Harvey said it feels great to be able to see his children participate in activities like tennis when, at one point in time, kids with CF didn't live long enough to even attend school.

Another promising development is that Lauren and Will both have normal lung function at this time. Dr. Harvey said he credits breathing treatments and medicines that have allowed the children to stay physically active and therefore play tennis.

"For us, the great part is that we can do something to try to prevent the progression of cystic fibrosis," Dr. Harvey said. "Every day we delay it, it gets us one day closer to the hope of an effective treatment or cure."

Janssen works for Saxum|PR, which represents The Greens Country Club.