Gasping for Air and Healing with Every Breath

When I was in high school, I volunteered at a camp for kids with Cystic Fibrosis. Each summer was an amazing experience because these young, beautiful souls came together and spent time enjoying themselves in the company of others living with CF. No questions were asked. No explaining needed to be done. They were just free to be kids at camp.

The counselors were known as “Thumpers,” because we were trained to administer a therapeutic practice, known as thumping: a rhythmic pounding with cupped hands over different areas of the chest to loosen phlegm, and aid in breathing. Some of the kids were so tiny it was hard to imagine accomplishing this task. Think of playing a carefully orchestrated drum solo on a small child.

We didn’t tap on them. We thumped.

In the mornings, the halls of the buildings were filled with the collective sound of thumping and coughing. Rhythmic beats, eliciting breath and life.

Buddha statue

We took thumping very seriously and I remember my arms getting so tired I thought they would fall off, but the spirit of why we were there made anything possible. The kids spoke openly about death and possessed an incredibly deep understanding of the finite quality and fragility of life. There was no guarantee that they would return the next summer.

By thumping, we created space for them to breathe, removed harmful debris from their lungs and opened up the airways. It wasn’t an enjoyable experience for them but it was a simple and effective way to make room for much needed oxygen.

I didn’t understand how frightening it was to lose the capacity to breathe until I spent a week in the hospital with pneumonia. I often thought of the courage of those children who lived with that fear on a daily basis for their entire lives.

In a very small way, it is what I am trying to do here: create an opening for someone gasping for air, wondering how they will take their next breath in the face of tragedy.

I had so many of those moments, of feeling compressed, of being curled up in a ball on the floor wondering what to do next. Often, I think I was just trying to just get enough air in my lungs to think clearly.

I hope you find helpful resources here. Tools for the journey. A place to begin moving forward. I want you to know how much I appreciate your presence here, your emails and your encouragement.

May you experience peace and healing with every breath.

-db

Who is Dianna Bonny?

Hi, my name is Dianna Bonny. It’s my mission to candidly share my journey with you. For me, it’s all about the healing: to create a radiant healing energy for others who have befallen a similar fate. Together, we can forge beautiful lives of belonging and connection. Thanks for joining me today! I look forward to hearing from you.

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