MMA Fighter Defying Odds

Michigan -- "Don't do it." Those words were the stern advice given by his doctor to Dean Walsh when he said that he wanted to become a cage fighter.

It's easy to understand the physician - after all the Monroe man has suffered from cystic fibrosis since birth. The serious, life-shortening genetic disease results in coughing and shortness of breath.

However, 21-year-old Dean says fighting for the last six months has actually helped strengthen his lungs. He's already had seven MMA fights.

Walsh said he was inspired to fight by his pastor and by his brother, Dan Walsh, who died of a drug overdose in January, monroenews.com reported.

Fighting Cystic Fibrosis

Suzie Seever from White Bear, Minnesota is a fighter. She has had a double-lung and kidney transplant over the past eight years because of cystic fibrosis, but she is getting her kicks from taekwondo training according to wcco.com.

She is planning to become an instructor one day, talking about the training as the one place where she forget about everything and just focus.

If you're willing to look past the usual mix-up of karate and tkd - this is a really inspirational and great story!

Still Kicking

Jake Erling wasn't supposed to live past age 13 after being diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Thanks largely to tae kwon do, he's got plenty of fight in him.

Because he has cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease, people said he wouldn't live long. But simple words of praise in karate (sic.) class made him believe he could be whatever he wanted to be.

Erling, 30, is so fit that he can spar with other black-belt fighters for two hours, and he often does. It seems almost inconceivable that at age 5, he wasn't expected to live past 13.

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