Kylie's Kids: Meet Elsie

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- We don't always know when our friends may be battling a lifelong disease. Elsie Day, this week's Kylie's Kid, has cystic fibrosis, a disorder that damages the lungs and digestive system.

But this 13-year-old isn't letting it stop her from doing -- and eating -- what she loves.

She has had cystic fibrosis since she was born. The last time she was hospitalized for the condition was when she was 2.

"The mucus in my lungs, it's harder to get out," she said. "It's like really stiff, and then it's harder to breathe."

She was at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minneapolis, but more often than not, you'll find Day on a volleyball court.

"She does love volleyball, she plays it all year 'round," said her older brother Joel Day. "Elsie probably has the weirdest sense of humor out of anyone I know."

Joel Day also teased that she eats the weirdest types of food, including hamburger-flavored potato chips. He joined Elsie Day at the hospital because it was MEA weekend.

"It kind of hits you that she has CF whenever she comes in, because it's really easy to forget," Joel said.

The two are experts when it comes to cystic fibrosis because their older sister has it as well.

"In order to get CF both your parents have to have the CF gene," Elsie Day said.

Elsie Day undergoes what's called "vesting" twice a day. She was able to go back home on Friday, which means she's back in school this week. She said she had a lot of homework to make up for while she was gone.