MEET JENNA
Jenna was born prematurely at 29 weeks and spent about three months in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), receiving care for respiratory and trachea issues that evolved into chronic severe asthma. Jenna’s been a patient of the Chronic Asthma and Allergy Clinic at Nationwide Children’s Hospital ever since.
Asthma is the most chronic childhood illness, and it can significantly impact a child’s quality of life. It often leads to missed school days, difficulty with physical activity and even trips to the Emergency Room or hospitalization. By working closely with teams in Allergy/ Immunology and Pulmonary Medicine, Jenna has been able to focus on her main goal: be a normal kid and do the things she loves.
Jenna is resilient. Despite her asthma and health concerns throughout her life, she’s been able to stay active in sports playing soccer and basketball and running track (hurdles) on her high school teams. She loves spending time with her friends, sisters – and her beloved dog, Gideon. Jenna loves animals and one of her favorite places to visit is the Columbus Zoo. She also has big goals for her future! She’d love to study criminal justice and sign language, and hopefully use these skills to help others.
Age on Race Day: 17 years old
Diagnosis: Severe Persistent Asthma, Eosinophilic Esophagitis, Vocal Cord Dysfunction, Dysphagia
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