Nate Ferrell inspires others to go greater and to help give children a better tomorrow
While his music instructor prepares the day’s lesson, Nate Ferrell sits on
the carpet of the music room, grinning as he explains how he teaches
himself to play songs he hears on the radio. To prove his point, he picks
up his violin and lowers his head until his jaw lands on the chinrest. He
presses his lips together in concentration and guides his bow through
the chorus of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.”
“It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight/Risin'
up to the challenge of our rival,” the instrument hums
the familiar tune.
Nate perhaps understands these lyrics better than
most 10-year-olds. His rival’s name is mitochondrial
disease, a foe he’s been fighting since birth. The
degenerative disease attacks the mitochondria, which
are present in all cells aside from red blood cells and
are tasked with generating most of the energy the
body needs to support organ function.
For Nate, who was diagnosed at 11 months old, the
disease manifests in difficulty breathing, digestive
issues and bouts of exhaustion. He’s needed oxygen
continuously since he was a year old, so he carries
his oxygen tank in his backpack and sleeps with a
ventilator at night. He received a feeding tube at
age 3 and was the youngest patient in the U.S.
to have a gastric stimulator implanted in his
gastrointestinal track.
Between school, homework, violin lessons and
golf practice, the fourth-grader attends weekly
physical therapy sessions; sees UF Health specialists,
including neurologists, cardiologists, immunologists
and endocrinologists, to treat organs affected by
the disease and monitor those that could become
damaged; and receives myriad medical treatments
— including weekly immunoglobulin injections
that his mom, Amber Ferrell, administers every
Wednesday afternoon at his music teacher’s house.
For the Ferrells, it’s become second nature to fit
medical treatments into the blur of activity that
comes with raising three children.
“We’re just like every other family, except we have
a few extra things to implement,” Amber said. “Nate’s
a normal kid. He picks up his backpack and goes. He
untangles his oxygen tubing and goes. He doesn’t let
any aspect of his medical life slow him down.”
S P R I N G 2 0 1 8 | 7
BY STYLIANA RESVANIS
GO
GREATER
TO HELP KIDS
PHOTO BY MINDY C. MILLER