Salem's DeWyer takes on Cystic Fibrosis with super-positive attitude

BY ED WRIGHT
May, 2010, 9:35 a.m.

  Amanda DeWyer patrols right field for Salem's softball team with a reliable mitt, admirable range and an unwavering attitude that would make her a candidate for All-Conference teams if attitudes were one of the criteria.

  If you watched the Rock senior perform in a high school softball game -- from the first inning to the last -- you'd  never guess she has an incredible cross to bear, from the minute she wakes up until the moment she turns in.

  Not long after she was born 18 years ago, DeWyer was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, an inherited disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive track.

  "Amanda is one of the hardest-working players I've ever coached," Salem coach Bonnie Southerland asserted. "She never complains and wants to be treated like all the other players.

  "Every time I ask her to do something, she goes out there and does it, even if it's not perfect.  You always know she's going to give it her all. She is a very determined young lady who has overcome a lot. And I know how much she loves this game."

  Following two seasons on the junior varsity squad, DeWyer made the varsity during her junior season. While playing time was sparse, she learned a great deal by watching the Rocks' top-level players.

  Those lessons helped the 4.0 student earn a starting berth in her senior season.

  "I played right field behind another senior last year, so I knew I wasn't going to be playing a ton," said DeWyer, "but I still had fun. It was a lot different than junior varsity because there was more serious-ness everywhere, in games and in practice.

  "I got to see how good so many of my teammates were and I think that helped me improve. The longer you're around good players, the better you get."

  When asked for a highlight of this season, she smiled and reflected on a catch she made in a mid-season game against Livonia Franklin.

  "It's memorable just because it was kind of funny," said DeWyer. "When the Franklin batter stepped into the batter's box, one of our assistant coaches told me to move over about five feet. Well, the batter hit the ball exactly where the coach had me placed."

  DeWyer's competitive softball-playing days are numbered, depending on how far Salem goes in the post-season, which kicks off Saturday against Livonia Stevenson.

  "I know I'm not going to play in college (she will be attending Eastern Michigan University in the fall), so I'm soaking in the last few days of practice," she said smiling. "I just love the atmosphere around here."

  DeWyer said the Cystic Fibrosis she deals with every day rarely limits her athletic or academic endeavors.

  "If I'm sick, I'll have some trouble breathing probably, but it doesn't happen on a daily basis," she said. "My treatment  is both digestive and respiratory. At night I have breathing treatments to keep my lungs clear and I take enzymes to help me digest food.

  "You sort of get used to (the treatments) after a while, but I still don't like doing it because it is pretty time-consuming. I was doing a study for it a couple of months ago and I had to do a treatment three times a day, it took about an hour a day. It's usually a half-hour a night. I do it because I have to, but I wish I didn't have to."

  What advice would DeWyer offer to a youngster with Cystic Fibrosis who'd like to compete in sports?

  "I'd say don't let it get in the way," she said. "Just play as hard as you can and as well as you can because the coach will notice everything from how well you can hit to how positive your attitude is."

  DeWyer stays involved in fund-raisers that benefit Cystic Fibrosis research.

  "We do a bowling fundraiser and the CF walk in Ann Arbor, and I've been involved in different studies for new drugs they've come out with that will hopefully help.

  "There's actually one I just did that keeps your lungs more clear. It actually helped. By the end of the year, my numbers were actually up."

  As of now, DeWyer is planning on pursuing a degree in biology at EMU.

  With her intelligence, attitude and experience, it wouldn't be surprising if DeWyer someday discovered a breaththrough to alleviate her own chronic ailment.

  Ed Wright can be reached at (734) 453-1980 or info@plymouthcantonsports.com.