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Cystic fibrosis not holding back University of Illinois coach

May is cystic fibrosis (CF) awareness month.  One person’s diagnosis hasn’t slowed her down in the world of agriculture.

Central Illinois native Elli Burris had a passion for animals and ag through her experience in 4-H and FFA at an early age, but an unexpected medical diagnosis nearly derailed her plans.

“When I was a freshman in high school, I had pancreatitis twice within a month.”  She says, “That kind of led them to investigate a little further. And I was actually diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, which is a genetic condition that typically people are diagnosed with at birth.”

After a few years of learning to manage her condition, Burris’ love of animals took her to the University of Illinois in 2020 to become a veterinarian.

“I kind of decided that vet school maybe wasn’t for me, but one of the only in-person classes that was then going to be offered was a class called Food Animal Production Management and Evaluation,” she says.

Burris graduated with an animal science degree in 2022 but stayed at the university to receive her master’s.  She’s now teaching that class and coaching the school’s meat judging team.

“I love it though.”  She says, “It’s not totally surprising that I’ve become an instructor, or a teacher and a coach. I’ve got a lot of public-school teachers in my family. And so, I think that passion has always been there, but it has really been a full circle story for me.”

While her illness has caused complications along the way, she says advancements in medications have dramatically improved the quality of life for CF patients.

“There was a genetic modulator that went on the market and was FDA approved.”  She says, “It does not cure cystic fibrosis. There is no cure, but it does help to suppress symptoms in about 90% of patients. That medication has been absolutely life-changing for me.”

Burris’ U of I meats judging team has finished in the top ten at every competition so far this year, and she and her husband are expecting their first child later this year.

AUDIO: Elli Burris – U of I