Local Mom Fights Life-Threatening Disease

Chattanooga, TN (WDEF) – Cheryl Jackson has always been a driven entrepreneur, working as a chemist and a mother who loves to travel and exercise, so when she randomly ended up in the hospital for four days she was more than worried.

"I had never had anything like that before," said Jackson, who at the time had Ischemic Colitis.

It’s a condition usually only found in people who aren’t nearly as young or active as Jackson, prompting doctors to dig much deeper.

"Ultimately, they diagnosed me with Primary Immunodeficiency (PI), Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) more specifically," said Jackson.

Jackson quickly learned she was born with a chronic disease that will require treatment for the rest of her life. But now that she’s been diagnosed, Jackson is back to living a healthy lifestyle while she’s on treatment.

"She’s always fighting, in everything she does, as hard as she can," said Jackson’s teenage son, Brad, "So with this disease, she tackled it as best as she could, and it’s been a big message to me."

More than 80 percent of PI cases worldwide are still undiagnosed, costing more than $40 billion in unnecessary healthcare costs and precious time for patients.

For more information on PI or CVID, click here.